Forget Me Not
by KasidyQ
Summary: Kay-Lynn is your typical American girl, except she isn't. She can't remember her past thanks to near fatal accident. She's plagued by dreams she can't quite recall, she's become some what of a shut in thanks to her many insecurities, and she's being hunted by... monsters? That's when THEY step in and her life becomes anything but typical. Multi-Character, Lemons in Later Chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**FORGET ME NOT**

 **A/N: Hey guys! Sorry I've been away for a while. I ended up with carpal tunnel so bad in my right wrist, it required surgery, so the keyboard has been my nemesis for a couple months. But what better way to return than a new story! Yay! Thank you all for being patient with me. So… this one's a bit different than my usual stuff. I hope you really like it. As my faithful readers know, Ichigo is my absolute favorite Bleach character because… well, just look at him. Lol. But if I had to pick a second favorite, (or third fave, if you count Ichigo's smexy hollow as the second!) it would be Renji. He's just yummy. So here's one with a big beautiful dose of Lieutenant Abarai! Don't worry though, Ichigo isn't left out in any way, shape, or** _ **form**_ **… ;). Enjoy! On with the story!**

 _ **Chapter 1: Just a Dream**_

Morning rays threatened to pull her from her dream. She fought against them but she could feel consciousness tugging at her mind. It's so damn hot in here! No, she had to hold on just a little longer….

"Damn." She muttered into her pillow. She rolled over and looked toward the intruding light. _You did it again, Kay-Lynn!_ She thought, _Can you not just remember one damn dream?!_

The dream was always so chaotic and she never could remember much of it upon waking, but she always remembered those eyes. They were nearly tattooed onto her heart. Intense, dark, and almost wicked. She would have called them brown if not for the slight flecks of rusty amber. Just brown did not do them justice. She had memorized those eyes.

She laid on her bed staring out the open window for a moment. Why did she always forget the rest of that dream? And why did she always dream it? For as long as she could remember, it had been a constant in her life. Every night, she'd lay awake for hours trying to think of anything else. Trying to force her dreams to go in a different direction. Hell, she'd even take an embarrassing dream like going in public naked. For Kay-Lynn Moragahn, that would be a nightmare. But no, it was always the same. The swirling chaos. The lights and sounds around her that she couldn't quite remember. Then, waking with nothing in her mind but those sinfully beautiful eyes.

"That's enough of that!" She growled. She always got so worked up trying to remember anything of the dream. She would lay there forever if she didn't force herself out of the bed, right now! She groaned as she swung both legs over the bed and grabbed her robe off the headboard. Not that anyone was around to see if she did walk around her house in just her nightshirt, but it made her feel better to cover up. She never liked feeling exposed. Just one of her many insecurities.

She lazily walked down the hall to the bathroom and sat on the side of the tub. Her mind just wouldn't cooperate with her this morning and kept falling back into thoughts of those eyes and the man that owned them. Why couldn't she remember his face? Was it as arresting as his eyes? She imagined it was. She fantasized about how ruggedly built and brute-like he may be, or maybe he was lithe and well-toned like a snake in his movements. Maybe she had it all wrong and he was a terrible beast of a man and his eyes were his only saving grace.

Maybe he was someone from her past. The past she didn't know. Everything before the accident was hazy. She remembered her childhood but just barely. It was like watching a slide show in her mind. Random pictures of a state-run orphanage, then countless foster families. She knew she had graduated high school but couldn't remember anyone specifically from that time in her life. Then the accident. She remembered it had been raining. She remembered seeing a bright, blinding light and then feeling as if she'd been ripped apart and slowly put back together but nothing else. When she woke up in the hospital a few days later she was informed she had evidently been struck by a passing car. She wished so badly she could remember her life before that.

Was the man from her dreams important to her somehow? She just didn't know but she always asked the same questions each time she dreamed of him. _Damn it!_ She would never get anything done at this rate. She turned and started the water for her bath. This was going to be a very long day!

LATER… IN THE SERETAI

"I don't understand, Captain." Renji sighed. He was always getting weird assignments, but this one really made no sense. "Why do we need to protect this specific human so much? It's not like it's a new idea, a human having strong spiritual pressure. We've seen it before."

"Yes," his stoic Captain replied, "but she is different than the substitute soul reaper and his companions. There is no explanation for her power or any proof that she is aware of it. With spiritual pressure that immense, it is sure that we are not the only ones who have taken notice. I do not have to tell you the kind of danger she is in because of that." The raven haired man never looked up from the file in his hands, but a slight scowl creased his porcelain features. He did not wish to explain his orders to his subordinate.

"But, Capt. Kuchiki, I…"

"That is all, Lieutenant Abarai." Byakuya raised his eyes to Renji's. It silenced the young man but he could see the defiance behind his eyes. He sighed. _Such a head strong man. Why does he infuriate me so?_

"Yes, Captain." Renji bowed to his superior. What an ass! He knew better that to press for more information though. Maybe he'd have better luck asking someone else.

"Who is coming with me on this assignment? If she's in such danger, I'll need a team, right?" He hoped he'd be able to pick who would go with him to the world of the living. He was used to going to Karakura Town alone and if things turned bad, he had his friends there to call on but this human was not in Karakura. He'd need back up he could trust in the new environment.

11th DIVISION BARRACKS

"What? No, absolutely not!" Ikkaku Madarame shook his head at his former squad-mate. "You always try to drag me and Yumichika off on your insane missions with you and I get left out of the big battles when things go wrong….. AND they ALWAYS go wrong, Renji! You're crazy if you think I'll get myself involved in any more of your assignments." The bald man leaned back against the door of the Squad 11 barracks. He smiled weakly at the Lieutenant but shook his head again. "Not this time, man. Sorry."

Renji growled in frustration, "You're telling me that two seated officers of the infamous squad 11 are backing down from a challenge?"

The door behind him swung open and Ikkaku landed not too gently at the feet of the elegant 5th seat. Yumichika Ayasegawa looked down at his friend. "That position is rather unbecoming, Ikkaku." He purred in his unique sing-song tone. He gracefully stepped over Madarame and looked Renji square in the eye. He reached a long slender hand up and rested it on the red head's shoulder. He never thought the other man was that attractive _. Cute, maybe, but beautiful like me? Of course not! Such a shame, too. Renji does have the most beautiful eyes... Ugh, some other time._

"So, Abarai, you were saying we'd back down from a challenge?"

KARAKURA TOWN

"Why are we here, Kisuke?" Ichigo brooded over the cup of coffee his was given upon arrival to Urahara's Shop. It was never a good sign when the crazy former captain called him and his friends to come for a visit. And it was way too early in the morning for his antics. He just hoped whatever it was didn't involve too much effort. He really hadn't been sleeping well thanks to those weird dreams he'd been having lately.

"That's what I've always liked about you, kid. Straight to the point. Alright, here goes. You three have been asked to help Renji out on an assignment and because it's here, in the world of the living, I'm relaying the message."

"Here? In Karakura Town? I haven't felt anything strange. What's the assignment, and where's Renji?" Uryu Ishida asked, feeling uneasy at the thought of a threat he couldn't sense. He was usually very adept at feeling any change in spiritual pressure. He knew beyond a doubt that the red headed soul reaper was nowhere near here. He would have been able to sense his hot headed temperament from miles away.

"He's still gathering men and supplies in the Seireitei. He'll meet us later." Rukia spoke softly from the other side of Ichigo. She felt the substitute's spiritual pressure flare. _Uh oh._ She knew he'd be upset that she already had information and didn't share it with him.

"You knew?! Rukia, why didn't you say anything to me? And exactly what the hell is going on here?" He hated when they left him out of the loop.

"Ichigo, please. Renji asked me if we could help and I told him we would. Don't give me that look! The reason Uryu hasn't sensed anything here is because this is not where the threat is. It's in America. Arizona to be exact. We'll have to go to the Soul Society and meet Renji. Then we'll find the girl." She said, exasperated at the orange haired man beside her _. There's that flare again, his temper is ridiculous!_

"What girl?" Ichigo and Uryu proclaimed in unison. "Somebody explain this to me, please!" Ichigo's face was starting to flush. What the hell had Renji gotten them into this time?

SOMEWHERE IN ARIZONA

Kay-Lynn was finally on her way home from work. It seemed like she had been off in her own little world all day and couldn't concentrate on a thing. Now, sitting in traffic, she was day dreaming again. She tried to think of a new character for the story she'd been trying to write but she just couldn't come up with anything. She had the hero and his love interest all planned out but she needed to give him some competition. A man like the one she had written about so far would have no problem getting the girl but that wouldn't make for a very good story, now would it? His competition had to be equally as brave and handsome as the hero. He had to be someone the reader would fall in love with and be just as conflicted by their love as the poor girl involved.

 _Hmmm, he would be someone you'd like to be friends with, but with an intensity to his emotions that makes you want to chain him to your bed post. Heh, yeah, you've written too much smut lately._ She thought to herself.

A series of loud car horns and screaming from behind her brought her out of her thoughts. She looked in the rear view at the long line of cars. "Hey, give me a break! The light's still red, assholes! God, I hate this city sometimes. Wait….." Something shimmered directly behind her car. She squinted for only a second before it came into full view. "What the hell is that thing?"

The creature was easily 10 feet tall and looked to be covered in a mix of feathers and fur. It wore a pale white mask with black eyes, tribal markings in bright yellow down both sides, and had a long sharp beak _. Oh, God! I really have lost my mind! What is it?_ She thought just as the bird-like monster reached out with its impossibly long arms and buried its razor sharp talons into the trunk of her car.

 _I'm going to die! This isn't my imagination, and Big Bird's possessed brother is going to kill me!_ Kay-Lynn quickly jumped from her car just as it was flung away. The monster leaned down and opened its beak. The sound that escaped was a sickening wail that shattered windows and set off car alarms all down the street. Her whole body trembled in fear but her feet wouldn't move. _Run! Run, you idiot!_ She scolded herself but still, she stood paralyzed. She helplessly watched as those ghastly talons began reaching for her.

"What the hell is she doing?" Ichigo yelled. "Renji, we…." He turned but the red head was already gone. Renji now stood in front of the girl on the street below. It was a low level hollow so he knew Renji could handle it. The question was why it had attacked the girl in broad day light in the middle of the street. True, hollows at this level didn't have much intelligence and most humans wouldn't be able to see it, but something was off here.

Renji made quick work of the nasty hollow by severing its reaching arm first then flash stepping to slice its ugly face in half. He landed again in front of the girl and watched the monstrosity fade into dust. "Are you alright?" he asked, turning to speak to the girl.

Kay-Lynn couldn't make herself open her eyes. "I….. I'm fine, I think." She had closed her eyes when the man with the sword had appeared, unable to deal with what she was witnessing. A sense of fear she'd never known before over took her. "What is that? And who… who are you?" She squeezed her eyes tighter, afraid of what she'd see if she opened them again. It was too much. She felt like she couldn't catch her breath.

Renji saw the panic written in her features and he couldn't blame her. That was a pretty nasty looking hollow. He stepped forward and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "It's gone now, you can open your eyes." He spoke barely above a whisper.

Kay-Lynn slowly obeyed him. First one eye, then the other. Relief flooded her as she looked at the vacant spot where that thing had stood. She exhaled deeply. Had she been holding her breath all along? She looked at the man standing in front of her. Crimson red hair, and tattoos covering most of the skin she could see. He was breath-taking. Someone she would write into one of her stories. His lips looked so soft and his eyes…. Her breath caught. "It's you" She breathed as her knees gave way and her head swirled. A curtain of darkness descended and she knew nothing else.

 **A/N: So whadda ya think so far? Hope you guys like it. I'm trying really hard not to make Kay-Lynn a generic Mary Jane but she's pretty special. I've got some big plans for this girl so I hope the poor thing's up to it. Let me know in the review section what you're thinking so far. Make some predictions… I love to hear where you think the story's gonna go. It tells me if I'm leading you down the right path or not. If you spot any mistakes, call me out. This first chapter isn't beta'd. Also, there's a poll up about what to do with Dream a Little Dream. If you've been following it, I am sorry that I haven't progressed. I am well and truly stuck on it, so check out the poll on my profile and vote to help me decide where I go with it from here. Thanks again, and as always, I love ya'll!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Wow! Thank you guys so much for the love (aka views, faves, and follows) you've given to this story already! I really love you guys! You're all amazing! Just a little head's up. Even though the story events stick closely to the original created by the Master of Manga, Tite Kubo, the time-line and progression of events do get a little… what's the right word? Elongated? Stretched out a bit, maybe. And of course, with the edition of a new character, it won't follow along the same lines, per say. So if you are a stickler for sticking right with the original, I'm sorry. I like to rearrange things. Otherwise, you'd already know what was going to happen. That wouldn't be any fun, now would it? Anyway, I've rambled enough XD! On with the story!**

 _ **Chapter 2: What Now?**_

"Damn it!" Renji swore but caught her easily, scooping her up in his arms. With a quick blur, he flash stepped with her limp body back onto the rooftop with the others.

"Well, that wasn't as hard as I thought it'd be." Uryu pushed his glasses back in place and looked at the bundle Renji carried, "All we needed to do was get her back to the Soul Society, right? She won't put up a fight if she isn't conscious."

"You're right, Ishida. It didn't take as long as I thought to find her. We need to leave before things get worse. There are more Hollows here. I can sense them. Rukia, call the Captain and let him know the situation." Renji said without taking his eyes off of the sleeping girl.

Rukia pulled out her soul phone and dialed quickly. "Yes, Byakuya. We have her. There is a large presence of hollows here and she's unconscious and…... Yes, sir…. But we need to…. Yes, sir. Thank you." Rukia sighed as she hung up with her brother. "He says the Senkaimon is not ready to let her pass through yet but the adjustments are being made… It will take a while. They did not expect us to find her so quickly. He also says that we should handle the hollow situation while we're here. 'We're Soul Reapers, are we not?'" She said, imitating her brother's stoic voice.

"We need to find a place to stay. We'll find a hotel and take shifts staying with the girl." Ichigo stated looking out across the city. "Where are all the Hotels? We're in the downtown area. There should be one somewhere."

"Hey Ichigo," Ikkaku interrupted. Ichigo rolled his eyes and continued to look out at the buildings around them. "Not now."

"But, Ichigo…."

"I'm busy, Ikkaku!"

 _ **SMACK!**_

"What the hell, Yumichika!?" Ichigo turned and looked at the fifth seat while rubbing the back of his now throbbing head. The man smirked a little and pointed down. Ichigo leaned over the edge and felt his face begin to flush again. "Oh….. Heh, Look guys…. We're standing on a hotel."

…

Renji sat across the hotel room from the bed. He looked at the girl laying there, and couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Her hair reminded him of flames. Its multifaceted color had shades of dark auburn, crimson, orange, and platinum. As he carried her earlier, he had noticed how it shimmered in the wind and sun. The brief time he had seen her eyes, he was awe struck by their bright evergreen color. Her ivory skin was soft and smooth and she smelled of something tropical and fruity. He watched her chest rise and fall and felt sure she was sleeping soundly. He stood and walked to the side of the bed and slowly brushed a strand of her fiery hair out her face. "It's you," she had said before she fainted. What did she mean? Did she know him?

They were all exhausted. There had been so many hollows, all low level and not much of a threat but it seemed like they had just kept coming. Ichigo stretched across one of the double beds and started drifting off to sleep before the others even entered one of the two hotel rooms they'd rented until that damn gate was ready.

"Well, I guess I'll take the floor. Rukia, you can have the other bed." Uryu sighed looking at his orange haired friend snoring softly across the bed on the opposite side of the room. "No," Rukia said through a yawn. "I'll go check on Renji and sleep next to the girl and you guys can fight over who gets to snuggle with each other." She turned and walked out before anyone could argue.

"I don't mind sharing a bed but snuggling is out of the question." Ikkaku grinned as he plopped down on the empty bed and put his hands behind his head. "I'm good on the floor, thanks." Uryu rolled his eyes and yawned. He knew that Yumichika was dying to crawl up next to Ikkaku anyway. You'd have to be blind not to see the way he looked at the other man. He slid a pillow out from under Ichigo's arm and threw it on the floor. He was too tired to look around for anything else so he just laid down and tried to get comfortable. "Here" Ikkaku growled and hurled the extra thick coverlet off the bed at Uryu. "Get comfy, it'll be morning at least before they get the Senkaimon ready anyway."

 **Ichigo felt like he was falling over and over and over. There was a blazing heat coming toward him from somewhere in the distance. It felt as if he were hurdling toward the sun. Colors swirled around him like he was moving too fast to see anything. He felt a soft touch on his hand and everything stopped. He turned and saw the girl from the street. She held his hand gently and smiled the most dazzling smile. He couldn't help but smile back at her. She was truly beautiful. He reached out and caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "You're safe now. We won't let anything hurt you" He told her, remembering her fear from earlier. "I know that you'll protect me." She said matter-of-factly. She slid her free hand behind his neck and gently pulled him close. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed her close to him. Ichigo groaned at the contact. God, he wanted her so much. He couldn't explain it, and didn't really care to. It was just a dream after all. A dream….. Damn it, he was dreaming.**

Renji woke with a start. He had been dreaming. He could still feel her lingering touches and the burning heat all over his body. He looked over at the other bed and watched the two girls sleep for a while. He had almost told Rukia to take the other bed so he could sleep next to the fiery haired beauty but he thought better of it. He ran his hands through his hair that had fallen out of his braid sometime in the night. He couldn't just lay there and let that dream drive him mad! He swung his legs over the side of the bed and quickly made his way to the bathroom to take a nice hot shower.

Kay-Lynn stretched and yawned as daylight streamed in from an open window _. Man, I feel like I slept for a week, and I can actually remember the dreams I had. First time in forever, I think._ She blushed furiously at the memory. Such handsome men. She'd have to write them down and use them in a story. She opened her eyes and blinked the sleep from them. She immediately sat straight up.

A blood curling scream woke Rukia up from a dead sleep. "What? What happened? Oh, you're awake. Just calm down. We're only here to help." She calmly explained to the girl as she realized what was happening.

"Who the hell are you? And where am I?" Kay-Lynn stuttered as she crawled backwards out of the bed away from the strangely dressed girl. "And who is we? Help with what?" She kept firing questions and walking backwards.

Renji nearly fell out of the shower when he heard the scream. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it tightly around his waist. He charged from the bathroom right into the back of the retreating girl. He lost his balance and fell backwards pulling the girl down with him. She screamed again until she saw who it was that she was sitting on. "You….. How are you here?" She asked turning and straddling him while staring deeply into his eyes.

Ichigo kicked in the door quickly followed by the three other men. "Rukia, we heard screaming and the door was locked so… Renji, what the hell?" Ichigo looked down at the peculiar sight on the floor in front of him. The girl was sitting on top of Renji, just staring at him like she'd seen a ghost. And was Renji in a towel?

"Good morning… ugh." Renji growled. This wasn't just awkward, it was torture after the dream he'd just had. "I'm Renji Abarai and we're here to protect you from things like the one that attacked you yesterday. I'll gladly explain anything you want but I think maybe I should put some clothes on first, don't you?" He spoke as gently as he could under the circumstances signaling to the towel that wasn't covering much after the fall.

…

"So let me get this straight, you guys are all 'Soul Reapers' sent here to protect me from big scary bird monsters and I supposedly have some weird powers that's making them wanna eat me. Sound about right?" Kay-Lynn finally said after what seemed like hours of them trying to explain everything to her. She sat on the bed as they all stood around her staring like she might grow another head.

"Not exactly." The one they had introduced as Uryu said, holding up his hand as if he was waiting to be called on by the teacher. "I'm not a Soul Reaper, I'm a Quincy, but that's a whole other story."

"And they don't all look like that… uh, bird… monster. Hollows can be all shapes and sizes." Ichigo said nervously. "It's a lot to take in, I know, but you'll get used to it." She was so damn pretty! He found it very hard to look her in the eye without stuttering.

 _This is one of the guys from my dream last night. Damn it! What the hell is going on?_ "Ichigo, right?" Kay-Lynn waited for a nod from the young man with the bright orange hair. "Yeah, I don't really want to get used to it but it doesn't look like I have much choice." She sighed and looked over at the girl standing beside her. "So your brother and the other captains have all the real answers, huh? Why didn't he just tell you guys? I don't have any weird power. I'm just an ordinary girl with a boring life. I think you guys might have saved the wrong person."

Rukia gave her an understanding nod and sat beside her on the bed. "Kay-Lynn, I could feel your spiritual pressure from the time we arrived here. We all could. And that's saying a lot for Ichigo. He's never been good at sensing anything. As far as saving the wrong person, well, anyone we save is always the right one." She smiled kindly as the fiery haired girl looked up from fidgeting with her nails.

"Look, I'm trying to understand all of this, but it's truly making my head spin. I just don't….. I don't know." She sighed as Rukia's phone began to ring. The small girl excused herself and left the room talking to someone quietly.

Renji cleared his throat and all eyes turned to him. "Could you guys give us a minute? I just need to talk to Kay-Lynn…. Alone."

The other four men nodded and started to leave as Renji sat opposite from the girl on the other bed. Ichigo looked over his shoulder at his friend and wondered just what Renji knew that he didn't about Kay-Lynn. He felt an ache in his chest as he closed the door behind him.

"Hey, I'm sorry about the way I um, acted earlier, it's just that I…. It's hard to explain." She glanced up at the beautiful man in front of her, not really sure how to say what she meant _. I've been dreaming about you every night for as long as I can remember even though I've never met you before. Oh and last night, I kinda had ridiculously steamy dreams about you AND your hot friend. Yeah, that'd be real smooth_. She propped her elbows on her knees and buried her face in her hands. After all the crazy things they'd just told her, why was she so afraid that she would be the one who sounded like a nut job?

A large hand touched her shoulder lightly and she peeked out from in between her fingers. Renji was squatting down in front of her now. Those mesmerizing eyes level with her own. "It's okay, I think I understand. I have to ask you something though. Is it possible that…. I mean could you have maybe…"

"Okay, Renji that was Urahara. They're on their way to pick up our gigais. We can't just leave them laying around here. The Senkaimon will be ready in the morning." Rukia came through the door and looked curiously at Renji kneeling in front of the girl.

 _Damn it Rukia!_ Renji heaved himself up to standing again. He'd just have to try again later. Was it possible she was dreaming about him, too? Did it have something to do with her powers? He needed to talk to his Captain and ask exactly what was in that file on Kay-Lynn.

…

The day went by fairly quickly and Kay-Lynn began to really appreciate her new companions. They tried to answer her questions and she tried very hard to understand their answers but it was all so confusing. Even the man who showed up that afternoon was very nice to her even though he was a little odd. He kept watching her from under the brim of his strange hat with a weird grin on his face like he knew some secret she didn't. She took them all out on the town and showed them a few of her favorite places in the city, finding a connection with each of them at every new place.

When she had stopped at the historic library and explained how she loved the smell of the musty old building and the dust mingling with ink, most of them looked bored. Except for the Quincy. Uryu pushed his glasses back up on his nose and smiled. She'd found a kindred spirit there. On the corner of the same street, she took them in her favorite coffee shop and laughed as Ikkaku tried every flavor of iced coffee on the menu. As if that man really needed any more caffeine.

On and on it went until she had exhausted all of her usual haunts and they ended up at the Central Mall. Renji had been lost for hours poring over sunglasses at a kiosk while Rukia and Yumichika browsed the shops and Kisuke was trying on every hat he spotted. They had all found something of interest. All but one. Ichigo… she walked up slowly beside where he sat on the edge of the large ornate fountain in the middle of the shopping center.

"Hey..." she said quietly sitting beside him. He looked up and smiled a little then returned his gaze to the rippling water.

"Watcha doin?" she nudged him with her shoulder.

"Just thinking"

" 'Bout what?"

"You"

Her breath caught a little. "What about me?"

He sighed deeply and turned so he could look her in the eyes. He felt the blush creep into his cheeks. "I…. Well, Uh… I just remember when I learned about all this and how hard it was to take in. Hell, I thought Rukia was ten kinds of crazy until I saw it all for myself. I just wanted you to know that I understand how you feel."

That wasn't what she expected him to say. She didn't know what she had expected though. She looked thoughtfully at him. He was a little younger than her, maybe a year or two, but he was pretty amazing to look at. That wasn't what held her attention, though. His eyes hid something deeper than that. A sadness, maybe, or something darker. It made a lump form in her throat. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Ichigo…"

"Hm?"

"Do you ever wish you didn't know… about the Soul Society and the Hollows and all? Do you ever miss just being…normal?"

"No." his answer came with barely any thought. "If I hadn't met Rukia and didn't become what I am, I wouldn't have the strength to protect the people I care about. That's the reason I do what I do, ya know? I protect people. We all do."

"You think I might be able to protect people? I mean, if Rukia's brother can help me figure out what my deal is?" She said with a laugh and looked down at her now fidgeting fingers.

"Yeah," He reached over and slipped his long fingers over hers, "I think you might. But don't take Byakuya too seriously. He's kind of an ass." He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back.

"You should do that more often, Ichigo."

He laughed, "Do what? Make fun of Byakuya? I do it all the time."

"No," she giggled. _Did I really just giggle? What am I, 12?_ She squeezed his hand. "No, you should smile more. You have a really sexy smile." _Oh god, kill me now! What am I even saying?_

"Hey!" Renji called to the two sitting a little too close together on the fountain. "We need to get back. We don't want to run into any problems after dark." _And Ichigo needs to get his damn hands off her!_ He shook his head. He had no right to be jealous. He barely knew the girl. But neither did Ichigo. _Sure looks like they know each other pretty well from here, though._

…

 **Kay-Lynn was lost in his kiss. The feel of him pressed against her this way felt so good, so right… she couldn't get enough. When his tongue began searching her mouth with such urgency, a wave of desire swept through her to her very core. She needed him so much, she couldn't take any more of this. She wanted him, now! "Please, Ichigo…" she moaned against his lips.**

 **Time stood still when he pulled away from her touch. She opened her eyes and looked at his, now burning with anger. She gasped as she looked into those eyes. Deep brown with flecks of rusty amber.**

" _ **Renji…"**_

"Renji!" She woke with his name still on her lips. "Damn It!" She sat up then remembered the sleeping girl beside her and took a deep breath to quiet herself. It was still dark out. No light was coming in from around the heavy curtains beside the bed. She sighed and laid back on her pillow. _What the hell kind of dream was that?_

"You okay over there?" A soft whisper came from the other bed. _Renji… Did he hear me call his name?_

"Yes and no." She whispered back. "Bad dream."

She heard him breathing in the darkness.

"Me too." He answered even quieter than before.

"Wanna talk about it?" she asked.

He was silent for what seemed like forever before he finally said, "Not really, you?"

"No, not really"

They both lay quietly in the dark for a while not knowing what to say, not knowing if anything should be said. Kay-Lynn was afraid to close her eyes again. She felt like she had completely betrayed both Renji and Ichigo in that one little dream. That was ridiculous. She hadn't known either of them for more than a day. But it didn't feel that way. She didn't know what she was feeling anymore. And she didn't know what she was doing either, when she quietly got up and crawled into the other bed. Strong arms wrapped around her and welcomed her there and so she laid her head on his shoulder and tucked her head under his chin.

Renji didn't know why she had come to him like this but he wasn't going to refuse her. He felt the anger and hurt left over from his dream melt away as he held her. He felt her breath against his neck and pulled her closer.

She lifted her head and looked at him, letting her eyes adjust to darkness until she could see the strong outline of his features. Again, she didn't know what she was doing but she did it anyway. She pressed her lips to his gently and waited for his response.

At first she felt him tense but almost instantly his lips softened under hers as he placed one hand in her hair and pulled in for more. It was a slow and cautious kiss. Lips parted only a little. Tongues barely tracing against each other but neither one pulled away until it was necessary to breathe. Kay-Lynn smiled at him then nuzzled into his neck again.

"Kay-Lynn?"

"Yes, Renji?"

He smiled. That's all he wanted to hear. She knew it was him holding her. Not Ichigo.

"Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Renji."

She wanted to say his name over and over so he would know she wasn't thinking of anyone else.

Not even the substitute Soul Reaper in the next room.

The one that made her heart skip a beat when he smiled at her. No, not even him…

 **A/N: Uh oh, Kay-Lynn is in a bit of a tight spot. What do you guys think might happen? Trust me she's not really as whorish (Is that really a word? Spell-check says it is. Huh, who knew?) as it seems. Even though some of the later chapters I've written don't really prove my point… Oh, well. You'll see what I mean later. Anyway, let me know what you think so far. Go ahead and fave or follow if you like it. It lets me know just how many people really want to read the rest. I appreciate every single view though no matter what! Hope you have a great weekend! Happy Reading, Love ya'll!"**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Okay guys, this is a pretty short chapter but lots of things happening in it. I hope you don't mind. If there are any questions about the timeline, just let me know and I'd be more than happy to explain it. I know I'm being a little vague about when everything is taking place. That's totally on purpose. I hope I'm dropping enough hints to kind of clue you in. You'll figure it out eventually I think. Thanks again for the views, follows, and faves. You guys rock! On with the story! XD**

 _ **Chapter 3: The Soul Society**_

Two weeks had passed since she arrived in the Soul Society and still no clues as to why she had such strange spiritual pressure or if she had any special abilities. Captain Kuchiki had been very generous so far in letting Kay-Lynn stay in the 6th Division with Renji. She couldn't seem to shake the weird dreams but she slept better with him beside her.

Renji didn't mind the company. He'd gotten quite used to it. He loved the way she felt against him and the way she said his name each night before they drifted off to sleep. Something about his dreams bothered him though. He always dreamed of her and even though they were good dreams, something was off. She wasn't herself in the dreams. She was wild and untamed and sometimes he could feel a strange energy coming from her that just felt… wrong.

Kay-Lynn sat quietly through another meeting with Captain Kuchiki and Head Captain Yamamoto. The Head Captain had concluded that in light of a dangerous situation that had arose recently, it was too risky for her to return home. He said she needed training for her power to emerge and that he wanted her to spend a day or two with each squad leader to learn what she could from them.

She had started with Captain Ukitake and Rukia in Squad 13 who tried (and failed) to teach her Kido. Maybe not a complete failure, she only managed to blow up a third of the barracks there. They'd said they were impressed that she even managed that much. Kay-Lynn had a sneaking suspicion that they were only trying to make her feel better, though.

Then she was passed on to the strange Captain Kurotsuchi of Squad 12. He seriously gave her the creeps! She wasn't fond of his version of training, either. She was nothing more than a lab rat to him and had sat through more than enough of his torturous tests and was more than happy to move on.

The Captain of Squad 11, Kenpachi Zaraki, had shown no interest in training her at all. He actually called her boring and his little Lieutenant kept calling her "Flame Head". At least she had gotten to spend some time with Ikkaku and Yumichika and work on hand to hand combat with them while there. She could tell the two were close and felt privileged to be included in their comradery for a short time. They were some of the first people she'd met from here after all and she felt safe around them.

Today she was to be trained by Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya from Squad 10 and waited patiently for him to arrive at the Head Captain's office to retrieve her. She was more than a little nervous. Yumichika had warned her about the young captain and his no nonsense attitude saying that he was overly serious about everything. She'd heard others call him the Ice Dragon and the Child Captain. She truly had no idea what to expect.

A light knock on the door nearly sent her jumping out of her own skin. "Come in, Captain." The head captain said with no doubt as to who was on the other side of the door.

As Toshiro Hitsugaya entered the room, she felt a chill as if the temperature of the air around them had dropped. _He might be little, but he's no kid!_ His turquoise eyes turned to her and she had to mentally remind herself to breath _. Is it some kind of rule that you have to have pretty eyes to be a Soul Reaper?_

"Head Captain, what is it that you would like for me to do with this... girl?" Toshiro asked. He really did not have time for this. How was he expected to train a human?

"Captain Hitsugaya, This young woman is Kay-Lynn Moragahn. What you are to do with her is train her in meditation and controlling her spiritual pressure. Do you believe you can do this?" Captain Yamamoto asked looking at the young man and then at Kay-Lynn.

"Meditation? Sir, I don't…"

Another stern look from the head captain told Toshiro it was in his best interest not to argue. He sighed and glanced over at the girl. "Yes, Sir, I will do my best. Come with me Miss Moragahn."

10th DIVISION CAPTAIN'S OFFICE

Mid-way through her first day with the Squad 10 Captain, Kay-Lynn was starting to doubt the head captain's judgment. Toshiro Hitsugaya was anything but calming. He made her blood boil. How did this arrogant little shit expect her to meditate with him constantly voicing his objections to training a 'mere human'?

She sat cross legged in front of him with her eyes squeezed shut and her palms laid on her knees when he started in yet again. "Why do you need training? What powers do you even have? This is childish. All we are doing is forcing things on you that you couldn't possibly understand." He sighed heavily.

 _What's with this guy?_ "Look, Captain, I'm not happy about it either!" She opened her eyes and glared at him. His look of annoyance softened a bit. "I'm sorry." He almost whispered. Kay-Lynn got the feeling he wasn't used to apologizing. "It's just that I don't understand what it is that we're supposed to be doing." He cocked his head to the side and studied her for a moment. "You have a very unusual spirit pressure. Do you know anything at all about your ability?"

"No, I don't even know if I have one." Now it was her turn to sigh. "Captain Hitsugaya, can I ask you something? How did you find out about your power?"

"Well, it's different for Soul Reapers. It's not our powers that we have to find. It's the ability and true form of our zanpakuto. The zanpakuto is a reflection of the Soul Reaper's soul and power but it is also a living spirit that lends its power to the Soul Reaper. One has to learn its name and communicate with the zanpakuto's spirit in order to grow strong together. Do you understand?"

His voice was soft and kind, not arrogant and judgmental like before. She nodded and urged him to continue. "I was just a child when I started to feel my zanpakuto spirit. I didn't understand what it was at the time. I was dreaming about a frozen field. I had dreamt about it often"

Toshiro stood to his feet and began to pace the room. He didn't know why he was telling a stranger this. He hadn't talked about it with anyone in so long. But he was relying on intuition now. He felt like this girl needed to hear his story.

"When a very special Soul Reaper woke me from this dream, she pointed out that my spiritual pressure and my zanpakuto spirit together were accidentally freezing my grandmother… to near death. I decided join the academy to learn to control my spiritual pressure and I learned the name of my zanpakuto around that time."

He cleared his throat and turned to face Kay-Lynn with a small smile but it soon faded when he noticed the look in her eyes. "What is it, Miss Moragahn?"

"You said you dreamed it?"

"Yes"

"Do all Soul Reapers dream about their zanpakuto spirit?"

"I don't really know. Not that I'm aware of. Have you dreamed about anything unusual as of late?" Toshiro sat in front of her again, closely studying her face.

"Only for forever." She said, almost to herself. "It isn't anything like that though. I've dreamed of people before I actually met them. And strange swirling lights so bright and hot they almost burn." Renji and Ichigo's face flashed through her mind. She closed her eyes against the memories of the dreams _. Some ability! I can dream about hot guys. I guess it could be worse. Still, it's not very useful._

"I think it's more than that…." Toshiro said breathlessly. He had heard her thoughts. And for just a brief moment, he'd seen the swirling lights. This unusual girl had actually reached out to him with her spiritual pressure and he had felt confusion and a sense of fear within it and they had connected in a way he'd never even heard of before. He'd even felt the terrible heat she had mentioned. "I think it's time we call the head captain."

A FEW DAYS LATER- SQUAD 11 BARRACKS

"I don't know, Ikkaku. She won't tell me anything. Head Captain's orders, she says." Renji paced back and forth in front of the other soul reaper. "The only ones who have any idea what's going on are the Captains and I have a feeling not all of them have the whole story." He ran a hand over his face and sighed. "She was coming back every night later and later from her 'training' so exhausted that we barely even spoke before she fell asleep. And now they've moved her to the 10th division barracks with that little twerp! And now I'm hearing they've got some kind of weird connection! "

"So what you're saying is," Ikkaku stood and clasped a hand on Renji's shoulder causing his pacing to cease, "you're jealous and you're not getting laid anymore." He grinned. Couldn't the red head just admit he was wrapped around that girl's finger?

Renji shrugged off the hand on him. "It's not like that! I wasn't getting laid, anyway." He grumbled. Damn, he just wanted somebody to understand how worried he was. He should've known not to come to Madarame. He could be such a perv!

"Alright, so you're not jealous…but do you realize you just called the Captain of Squad 10 a 'little twerp'?"

"Yeah, yeah. It slipped. I'm just… worried. You know how she was when we found her? She relied on us. All of us… for protection." Renji began pacing again.

"And now, she's learning to protect herself. That's a good thing, Abarai." Ikkaku said, trying to reassure his manic friend.

"Damn it! I know that! There's something else though… Her spiritual pressure is changing. It feels stronger but… I don't know Ikkaku, I've felt something like it before, I just don't remember where."

 **A/N: So… any thoughts? Let me know in the review section what you're thinking. Yes, there will be lemons later. Any of you who have read my other stories know it's coming! Lol. Just be patient. Kay-Lynn's a little shy right now XD. Shout out to a few of my first faves and follows on this story, THANK YOU SO MUCH! Love Ya'll!**

 **Orange211994**

 **ShadowDemon28**

 **DBDQuitDistress**

 **LiaMaruti**

 **Natalia Apple**

 **kayray20**

 **JaegerjaquesSweety (Always the loyal reviewer! Love ya chickadee! And yes, before you ask, HE will make an appearance. Lol.)**


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4: Strange Connection**_

KUCHIKI MANOR

"Toshiro!" Kay-Lynn called from shade of the cherry blossom tree she was resting under. She watched the white haired soul reaper roll his eyes and sigh. She laughed as she waved him over. As he approached, she patted the ground next to her, offering him a seat.

"Please, Kay-Lynn, could you call me Captain Hitsugaya? At least while in the presence of others." He glanced across the garden to the entrance to the Kuchiki Manor where the Squad 6 Captain stood speaking to Head Captain Yamamoto and Captain Kurotsuchi. Toshiro sat next to Kay-Lynn and looked at her thoughtfully. She was quickly becoming one of his closest friends and that was something he didn't have many of. He supposed it was because of the strange bond her spiritual pressure had made with his own. He didn't enjoy the fact that she could hear his thoughts now, as well as having her thoughts slip into his mind. It was like watching a soap opera, being in that girl's head, but it made their friendship develop as easy as breathing.

"Alright, my little Captain." She purred, quickly avoiding an elbow aimed at her side. "What do you think they're talking about?"

"You and I, obviously. This sort of thing has never happened before."

Kay-Lynn looked away from Captain Kuchiki and his high ranking guests and over to the training area behind the gardens. It wasn't close enough to see anything but she knew who was there and she heard the occasional call for Zabimaru _. Renji...I really miss spending our nights together. I wish I could stop thinking of you all of the time!_

"I wish you could, too." Toshiro groaned beside her. Shit, she forgot he could hear her thoughts when he was this close. "Sorry." She blushed.

"I just wish you could control your thoughts at night. I've thought about dragging him to your room for you so that you'll stop all of that… fantasizing! Maybe then I could sleep through a night."

Kay-Lynn was redder than Renji's hair now. "TOSHIRO! You can sense that too? My room is nowhere near yours! Why didn't you tell me?!"She was mortified, replaying what she thought about at night when she couldn't sleep.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya! And stop thinking about it now, please! That's why. Because you'd just start thinking about it all over again!" He took a deep breath to calm himself. "I can't even look Lieutenant Abarai in the eye as it is, thanks to you. You are driving me insane! Not to mention, your other little obsession with…"

"Stop right there!" She chastised before he could utter the name she often found herself thinking of. "Don't act so innocent, my _little_ Captain!" She smiled at him wickedly. Even in her embarrassment, she couldn't help being amused by the flustered look on his face. "Don't think I haven't noticed who you think about in your down time. I'm not the only one with the hots for a tatted up lieutenant."

Toshiro paled and looked up to make sure no one else had heard his friend, causing Kay-Lynn to laugh hysterically. "I…. I don't know what you're talking about." He stuttered.

" _It's not like that and you know it! I just find him interesting, that's all!"_

" _I know, I know. I'm just teasing. I have to admit, though. Shuhei_ _ **is**_ _pretty damn hot."_ She only laughed harder at Toshiro's inward groan.

"Do you even hear yourself sometimes? All you ever think of is 'hot guys'! It makes this whole mind reading experience extremely awkward." He grumbled.

Kay-Lynn smiled and laid her head on his shoulder. "I know. Sorry. At least I don't actually say that stuff out loud."

Toshiro bounced his shoulder and Kay-Lynn's head along with it, making her laugh again. "You are a strange girl. You're so controlled and reserved around everyone else but on the inside, you're a completely different person. You're very bubbly and…" _Cute…_ the word slipped through his mind before he could catch it. He could already feel the blush burning his cheeks. "I… I mean…"

"Aw Shucks! Thanks, Toshiro." Kay-Lynn said mockingly, placing both hands over her heart and batting her eyelashes at him.

…

"It is very strange, don't you think, Head Captain?" Byakuya asked while watching the human girl and Captain Hitsugaya. "Her abilities all seem to be of a psychic nature with the dreams and the bond with the Squad 10 Captain, yet her spiritual pressure seems to indicate something much stronger." He brought his hand to his chin and absently began to stroke it as he thought.

"Yes, everything about her is… strange… for lack of a better word. She is just a human but her spiritual pressure is that of a soul reaper of at least lieutenant level. And I believe, after looking over Captain Kurotsuchi's research results, that we are only seeing a small part of her true abilities. We must not underestimate this girl. Her appearance in the world of the living coinciding with everything that has happened of late… it cannot be mere coincidence. You have my orders, Captain." With a nod to the other two men, Captain Yamamoto flash stepped away.

"Well Captain Kurotsuchi, as much as I enjoy your company, I have things to attend to, so if you don't mind…" Byakuya eyed the other Captain, silently wishing he would just leave without another word. He had no such luck.

"You do know that the girl could be dangerous, don't you, Kuchiki? Her spiritual pressure maybe odd but we both know it is in no way unique. Ah, well. I guess it won't matter much if the Head Captain's little plan fails. I'll just have another research subject. That is, if the body isn't too damaged. Good day, Captain." The strange scientist sneered and chuckled to himself as he left.

Byakuya strode across the garden and stood in front of the other two. He examined their faces and wondered why the smaller Captain looked so flushed. _Perhaps it is this unusually warm day_. He knew the 'Ice Captain' preferred much cooler temperatures. He mentally scolded himself for letting his mind wander and decided to get back to the task at hand.

"Kay-Lynn Moragahn, you are to return to the World of the Living for a short period of time and while there, you are to be trained by Ex Captain Kisuke Urahara and former Kido Corpse Commander Tessai Tsukabisha. You will be accompanied by five soul reapers of your choosing. Only lieutenant rank or higher. I would suggest Captain Hitsugaya be among them because of your unique bond. You have one hour to make your selections and report your choices to me."

And as quickly as he had approached them, he left just as fast.

" _There's more to this than training. He's hiding something."_ Toshiro watched the retreating captain disappear inside his home.

She narrowed her eyes in the direction Byakuya disappeared _. "But what could it be?"_

...

Renji was setting on a rock formation in the middle of the training grounds when he felt her spiritual pressure approach. He smiled and jumped down to face her, wrapping her in his arms in a nearly breath stealing hug.

"Hey, you." He breathed against her skin.

She wrapped her arms around his waist. "Hey, back. I missed you."

"I missed you, too. Where's that little katana they gave you for practice? Aren't we training today?" He asked finally backing away from their embrace but still holding one of her hands in his.

"Nope, I guess I'm going to Karakura Town for a while to train with Mr. Hat and Clogs." She suppressed a laugh at the nickname she'd picked up from Ichigo for Urahara.

"Oh yeah? For how long?" Renji let her hand slip from his. He could feel the pulse points in both temples begin to throb. All he could think of was seeing her setting next to Ichigo, him holding her hand the way he had that day at the mall in Arizona.

"I don't know yet. 'A short time', that's Captain Kuchiki's words exactly. He said I could choose five people to come with me. Lieutenants or Captains only. So, I was thinking…. How extremely convenient it is that you are who you are, Lieutenant Abarai." She looked up at him, smile beaming, a blush lightly dusting her cheeks.

Renji grabbed her, maybe just a bit too forcefully, and pulled her against him. He wrapped his fingers through the back of her fiery hair and pulled her lips roughly into his. They hadn't kissed at all since the night in the hotel room but he couldn't resist.

Kay-Lynn stood stock still for a moment. Stunned wasn't the right word for what she felt. Renji lips were warm and inviting and she slowly melted into them, but something tugged at the back of her mind… Ichigo… _Why was she thinking of him at a time like this?_

"Sorry…" Renji finally breathed after he pulled away. She placed a small chaste kiss on his cheek and waved off his apology with a delicate movement of her hand. That gesture seemed vaguely familiar to him but the reason why was just out of reach. He smiled down at her. "Who else is coming?"

6TH DIVISION CAPTAIN'S OFFICE

Byakuya looked down at the five names on the paper in front of him. Two of which were no surprise. He had already predicted Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Abarai wouldn't let Kay-Lynn out of their sight for very long and apparently she felt the same about both of them. "Miss Moragahn, I approve of your choice in chaperons to Karakura Town but have you gotten all five to agree?"

"Yes sir."

He handed the paper back to her. "Well then I suppose you and the others should get some rest and meet me here early in the morning for a briefing before you leave. I'll see to it that the Head Captain is supplied with the list of names."

She nodded and left Captain Kuchiki's office looking down at the five names written on the paper.

Capt. Toshiro Hitsugaya

Lieutenant Renji Abarai

Lieutenant Rangiku Matsumoto

Lieutenant Izuru Kira

Lieutenant Shuhei Hisagi

She grinned in spite of herself. Toshiro was going to kill her, but she would die with a smile on her face. She really hadn't just picked Shuhei to harass her little captain. It was a perk along with him being very easy on the eyes! But he was also strong and smart. She really had come to respect him and his views on battle and death when she had spent her time training in the 9th division. He had told her that it was okay to be afraid of her ability. That it meant she'd always respect it. She had promised him she'd remember that, if she ever figured out what her ability was.

Rangiku was a must! That woman was fast becoming one of Kay-Lynn's closest friends. She sat with her most nights far past midnight drinking sake and talking about everything they could think of. It'd been so long since Kay-Lynn had a female friend. Or any friend for that matter… Rangiku had to come.

It was Shuhei who suggested Izuru Kira and Renji wholeheartedly agreed. She didn't know him very well but he seemed very devoted to his friends and his squad. He did seem very lonely and withdrawn to her. She thought maybe this trip would be good for him. Besides, if Renji and Shuhei trusted him that was more than enough for her.

THE AMBER LOTUS

Rangiku had decided that instead of resting, it would be the perfect night for a party. "The six of us need to establish some sense of comradery before the mission after all!" she had stated.

Kay-Lynn laughed at the thought. Rangiku needed no excuse to party but this was as good as any. They all met at the Amber Lotus, a small tavern they frequented on occasion. They invited Ikkaku and Yumichika along, too. Of course, Toshiro declined and was very annoyed at both women for insisting on something so ridiculous. Despite that, he ushered them both out and told them to have a good time but not before mentally chastising Kay-Lynn for ranking her new companions in order of 'hotness' in her mind. She had laughed out loud and ruffled his hair on the way out, only irritating him farther.

Right away, she felt at home with this group. Izuru wasn't so shy after a few saucers of sake and Shuhei and Rangiku had her laughing so hard her sides hurt. Ikkaku and Yumichika bickered back and forth only to wink and smile at each other when they thought no one was looking. And Renji never left her side the whole night. He stood behind her now with his arms around her waist and his chin settled on her shoulder. It was odd how they'd settled into the routine of almost being couple without actually admitting it to themselves.

"Hey, Abarai. Can I borrow Kay-Lynn for a minute?" Shuhei asked while trying to hold his balance. He ended up grabbing the top of Izuru's head for support much to the other man's discomfort. "Hey cut that out!"

Renji chuckled. "Well, that depends Hisagi. What do you need to borrow her for?"

"Just wanna talk for a minute." Shuhei drawled and grabbed Kay-Lynn's hand and pulled her a little bit away from the small group.

Kay-Lynn laughed as Shuhei struggled with his footing. "Whoa there buddy!" She placed a hand on each shoulder to steady him.

He smiled lazily at her. "You're sweet." She wasn't sure but she thought he'd just attempted to wink at her. She held back a laugh, not wanting to embarrass him. "I just wanted to tell you that." He looked like he had lost his train of thought for a second. "No, that's not it…. I wanted to say… you see that big goofy red head over there?"

He pointed a wobbling finger at Renji who was in the middle of doing his best Byakuya impression and sending the others into hysterics.

"Yeah, I see him." She smiled at Renji. He glanced up at her and smiled back before continuing on with his antics.

"That guy is one of my best friends, but…. Hey! You listening?" Shuhei used the pointed finger to nudge Kay-Lynn's chin back around to face him. She smiled at her new drunken friend and nodded.

"He's my friend but if he hurts you… just let me know, okay?"

She was a little startled by the seriousness of Shuhei's voice and the fierce expression that he wore suddenly. "Oh… okay. Thank you, Shuhei."

His somber expression vanished as abruptly as it had appeared. He grinned and flung an arm around her shoulder. "Alright then, back to the party!"

" _If he hurts you… I'll have to kill him."_

Wait, no that's not what he said at all. Maybe the sake was getting to her as well.

6TH DIVISION BARRACKS

BANG, BANG, BANG!

Kay-Lynn squeezed her eyes shut against the intruding sound. Her pulse drummed in her ears and her whole body felt like it was weighed down. "Ugh, damn it." She groaned. Sake hang over was so much worse than any liquor she'd had in Arizona.

BANG, BANG, BANG!

"What the hell do you want?"

Kay-Lynn's eyes flew open and looked down at the grumbling man using her breasts as a pillow.

BANG, BANG, BANG!

"Renji, we need to get up." she whispered only causing him to lazily put a finger over her lips. "Shh, just a little longer." He purred. A warmth stirred in her chest as she gazed down at him. _Maybe just a few_ _more minutes_.

A familiar voice flitted through her mind.

" _Get out here! It's time to go. Do you know how much trouble you two are going to be in?"_

" _Toshiro? Go away!"_

She snuggled Renji closer as he tightened his arms around her.

" _No, You lovesick airhead! You are not supposed to be here anymore, remember?"_

Kay-Lynn nudged Renji and he looked up at her through sleepy eyelids and smiled. _God, he's so sexy like this!_

"Ugh! Stop that! Captain Kuchiki is looking for Abarai and he'll be here any minute. You owe me, Kay-Lynn.Now move it!" Toshiro was aggravated and let his voice raise a little more than he should have. He was glad that his friend could find a few moments of happiness after being forced to spend so much time away from the 6th Division Lieutenant but he very much did not approve of going against direct orders like this.

"We're coming!" Renji yelled back while hopping out of bed and throwing clothes on as fast as he could. Kay-Lynn followed suit and soon they were out the door and walking the halls of Kuchiki Manor with Toshiro in tow.

"So, Captain…. Can you… sense Kay-Lynn's thoughts… uh… all the time?" Renji stammered rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, usually just when she is close or when her spiritual energy peaks due to… strong emotion." Toshiro stared at his feet. Yes, that meant he knew every time Kay-Lynn was within 10 yards of Renji. Her spiritual pressure would sky rocket! He also knew just how intimate the two had been. He only prayed Renji wouldn't ask about that. He looked over at Kay-Lynn who had been abnormally quiet since they had left Renji's room.

" _What's wrong with you? I'd have figured you'd be all hearts and rainbows this morning."_

She shot him a quick nervous glance then looked away.

" _I don't remember much about last night. I remember leaving the Amber Lotus and then… waking up."_

He almost laughed out loud. She really shouldn't drink. She should have known better _._

" _Silly girl, nothing happened. You both just passed out, I think."_

He saw the small smile curving her lips. He knew she had been wondering about it but he'd decided to make her sweat a little. A sort of payback for his restless night of worrying about what he would 'see' if she and Renji did… well, thank the Gods they hadn't.

Kay-Lynn was beyond relieved. It wasn't as if she'd regret sleeping with Renji, it was just that she'd like to remember it if she had. There was also a deep nagging feeling that it would be a mistake to take things that far with him. Besides, she was so nervous about being exposed to him in that way. She hated the way she felt in her own skin and if she was going to be with Renji like that, she didn't want to feel so unsure.

Toshiro sighed. He could still feel her thoughts but he didn't understand them. Though he agreed that she shouldn't rush into an intimate relationship with the lieutenant, he had to wonder why she was so uncomfortable with herself? She had nothing to be ashamed of. He even had to admit she was a very attractive young woman and she was very easy to be friends with, so why did she have such low self-esteem? Despite their connection, there was still a lot about Kay-Lynn Moragahn he didn't know.

" _That makes two of us, my little captain."_


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm late with the update… again. So so sorry! I have actually been re-watching the Bleach anime and it has actually altered the course I was going with this story, starting with this chapter so I had to do a lot of rewriting. Today, I'm going to read the manga again, at least the arc in which I'm working with here. I need some opinions, though. How much recapping of actual cannon events do you guys want to see from Kay-Lynn's perspective? Anyway, thank you for reading this far and please enjoy! On with the story!**

 _ **Chapter 5: Karakura**_

THREE DAYS LATER- URAHARA'S HIDDEN TRAINING GROUNDS

"Okay. Kisuke, let's go again. This is kinda fun." She smiled at the weird blonde man in front of her.

"Alright then. Close your eyes, concentrate, and I'll tell you when to start. Ready?" He waved his hand at her five companions and they all vanished into various hiding places around the underground training area. He looked around double checking that everyone was out of sight.

"Okay, Kay-Lynn. Tell me where they are."

Kay-Lynn shrugged, but kept her eyes shut tight. "Too easy. Toshiro is to my left about 50 paces behind that boulder."

"Good, but finding Hitsugaya isn't a challenge considering the bond you share. Now find Rangiku. Remember what I told you. Visualize the person and try to see their unique spiritual energy. See it taking shape. Now follow that ribbon of energy. Where is she?"

Kay-Lynn followed his instructions and began to see the long red spiritual ribbons flowing out all around her. She studied each of them for a moment and began picturing the faces of those they belonged to.

"She's there, to the right. Down in that crater. Shuhei and Renji are up high on the other side of those rocks behind you and Izuru is….. Hey!" She opened her eyes and turned around. "No fair using Kido, Kira!" An invisible wall crumbled behind her revealing Izuru wearing a shy grin. "Urahara told me to." He admitted sheepishly.

Kisuke smiled and patted her on the head, ruffling her hair. "Not bad kid. Let's go get something to eat, huh?"

"Wait… there's someone else." She closed her eyes again, sensing a strong spiritual energy up above them. It was dark and powerful but it felt safe and… familiar.

"Ichigo…" She whispered.

"Hey, how's it going?" Ichigo called down from the top of the ladder leading from Urahara's Shop.

Kay-Lynn smiled up at him. "Hey yourself, stranger! Coming down to watch me teach Kisuke a thing or two?" A breeze blew up behind her as the others flash stepped to join her.

Renji glared at the younger man and placed a possessive arm around Kay-Lynn's waist. He knew he shouldn't feel so threatened by Ichigo, but he didn't like the way Kay-Lynn looked at him. Or the way he was looking at her right now!

Ichigo laughed and flash stepped down in front of them. Damn, Kay-Lynn looked cute in her work out clothes and her hair up in messy braid. Why the hell was Renji looking at him like that? Was his arm around her? These two seemed to have gotten closer since he'd last seen them.

"How's it going in the Soul Society?" he asked dragging his eyes away from Renji's hold on Kay-Lynn.

"Great!" Everyone's been so nice!" She beamed.

She was really glad to see Ichigo. There had been so much happening she'd wanted to ask him about. She didn't know why she had dreamt about him like she did or why she always seemed to think about him, but it didn't matter now. She knew she was falling for Renji. Just because she found something about Ichigo extremely attractive didn't mean…

" _What? Did I just…?"_

" _Yes, silly girl. You just admitted your feelings for Lieutenant Abarai. Now, can you stop with the inner monologue so we can get something to eat?"_

"Shut up, TOSHIRO!" she barked over her shoulder but he barely even flinched.

"It's Captain Hitsugaya." He stated in a nearly defeated tone.

"Wha..?" The others snickered around them at Ichigo's look of confusion. Renji couldn't help but laugh a little and clapped his friend on the back. "It's a long story, man. Come on. I'm starving."

They sat around Urahara's table for the rest of the afternoon telling Ichigo all about Kay-Lynn's training in the Soul Society and her bond with her little captain. She was blushing violently listening to the others' opinions of her. Mostly, they were complimenting her new found ability in seeing spirit ribbons and skills in hand to hand combat. But of course it was only a matter of time before some of the more embarrassing things surfaced.

"From what Rukia said, it took them a week and a half to clean up the mess. She's worse at Kido than Renji!" Shuhei said, recounting her first training day in the 13th division.

"Hey!" Renji and Kay-Lynn both protested in unison, making everyone else laugh.

"That's nothing compared to what she put poor Captain Kyoraku through." Rangiku chimed in.

"Oh, come on now. That was not my fault! Shunsui said he wanted to train me in tolerance. I tried to warn him." Kay-Lynn defended.

Kisuke and Ichigo looked a little confused so she continued. "What he had in mind was my tolerance to alcohol and well…"

"She threw up on his kimono." Toshiro deadpanned.

They all rolled with laughter. "I wish I could have seen his face." Kisuke smiled. "Well, we've got a lot of work to do tomorrow. I think we all better hit the hay. Ichigo, are you staying?"

"No, I need to head home. Hey, Yuzu, Karin, and Dad are out of town for a day or two. A couple of you guys can crash in their rooms if you need to."

Shuhei and Izuru agreed to go with Ichigo and everyone else started to settle into Urahara's spare rooms. "You coming to bed?" Renji asked leaning in and kissing the top of Kay-Lynn's forehead. "Yeah, I'll be there in just a minute." She replied. "I'd like to talk to Kisuke for a sec." He nodded with understanding and walked away down the hall.

She found Kisuke Urahara sitting almost regally at the table like he had expected her to come back. Kay-Lynn took a seat across from him and looked him straight in the eyes. "You know something you're not telling me, don't you?"

"Hmm…. I know a lot of things I'm not telling you, Kay-Lynn, but one thing in particular."

"And what's that?"

"You're a peculiar girl. Didn't we just establish that I'm not telling?" He laughed. "Oh, don't look at me like that. I'm not being cruel on purpose. I just want to be certain of a few things before I go and ruin the big surprise."

"Please," she begged. She could feel the tears threatening to form in her eyes, "Kisuke, I need to know what is going on and everyone else is hiding something from me. I can feel it!"

"Come on, now. Don't cry. I'll tell you a little of what I know but the rest will have to wait until I can be sure, do you understand?" He walked around the table and surprised her with a fatherly hug. The tears finally escaped and she leaned against his chest and let them come. Finally, she nodded in agreement and he held her back at arm's length.

"Kay-Lynn, there's something bothering me about your spiritual pressure."

"Join the club." She said between sniffles.

"It's as if it doesn't all belong to one person and there's no hint of humanity to it at all."

"Yeah, Head Captain Yamamoto said the same thing. Toshiro thinks he was sensing his spirit energy merging with mine because of our bond."

"That might be half right but there's something more to it. Tell me, what do you remember about your past?"

"Not much, honestly." She admitted as he led her to sit at the table. He joined her, sitting beside her, keeping a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's just little bits and pieces before the accident, but it's more like looking at pictures of someone else's life than really remembering my own." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hands and sniffled. She hated crying but she was such an emotional mess lately and the ups and downs were so extreme, she felt like she was going insane.

Kisuke just nodded. "I imagined as much. What do you remember of the accident?"

Kay-Lynn shrugged. "More or less, that there was one. Rain… A bright light… pain… then waking up in the hospital. That's about it. Since then, though, my memories are crystal clear."

She sighed. "I just don't know why any of this is happening and so all this training and finding my so-called ability… it seems like a waste of time for the Seretai. The Soul Reapers surely have more important things to deal with. And every one I've met, you're all so great… what's so special about me that you all have invested so much time to help me?" She knew she was ranting but she couldn't stop herself.

Once again, she found herself thinking of Ichigo and what he must have gone through when he became a soul reaper. She wondered if he'd ever felt this way or asked, "Why me?" He was so brave and caring. He was blessed with the ability to fight and protect his loved ones. He probably never once asked why. He was just grateful for the chance.

Kay-Lynn wished she could share that sentiment, but she had no such powers. She could just read minds… well, just one mind, and have crazy dreams. She couldn't protect anyone with that.

Kisuke smiled gently at her. "There's something very strange about you."

"Gee, Thanks." She said, shooting a sarcastic grin at the shop keeper. "I've been getting that a lot lately."

He laughed outright and pulled her in for another uncharacteristic hug. "I'm sorry, but it's true. I think it'd be in everyone's best interest if you try to keep those haywire emotions of yours in check." And with that, he released her and patted her head like she was a puppy and trotted off to bed.

 **Kay-Lynn couldn't see anything at all. She stood still in total darkness but she knew she wasn't alone. The spirit energy surrounding her was so immense, she found it hard to breath.**

" **Who's there?" She called. Her voice echoed in the nothingness.**

" **Oh, you don't recognize me? I would be offended if that didn't mean my plan had worked so well."**

 **Where was that voice coming from? She took a step back trying to put distance between her and her unseen companion. A strange sense of familiarity tickled the edges of her memory.**

" **I… don't understand!" She called out. "Who are you?"**

 **The image of a man with dark brown hair and equally dark eyes flashed through her mind. Pain surged up behind her eyes and she squeezed them closed, grabbing her head with both hands. "Ugh! My head…"**

" **Ah, so you do remember me. That's too bad. It really was quite entertaining, watching you struggle to fit in where you didn't belong."**

" **Stop!" Kay-Lynn screamed in agony. She could hear the blood rushing through her head. Her pulse sounded like a deafening drumbeat in her ears and she could feel the pounding of it in every vessel behind her closed eyelids. If this kept up, she was sure her head would explode. "Please… just stop!"**

" **Stop what? I'm not doing anything to you… this time." The voice was just behind her now. She stumbled forward, landing hard on her knees.**

" **I don't know you! I don't!" She objected to no one in particular. It felt like her life depended on whether or not she was associated with this man.**

 **He'd hurt her… He'd hurt someone she cared about… He'd betrayed her…**

 **Feelings long forgotten surfaced and caused the agony she was in to quickly turn to anger. She couldn't remember exactly where it all had come from but she knew beyond a doubt that the owner of this voice was responsible for her torment. She opened her eyes and looked around in the darkness.**

" **You shouldn't place all the blame on me. You aren't exactly innocent, you know." His voice sounded so close but she still couldn't see him.**

" **Why did you do this to me!?" She screamed at the disembodied voice.**

 **A maniacal laughter rang through the air. "I discovered your powers, I gave you a piece of me, I made you stronger and you still only want to know why?" He laughed again. "If you truly want to know, I suppose you know how to find me. Come to me… We'd** _ **all**_ **love to see you again."**

Kay-Lynn woke with a scream caught in her throat. She was shaking and looking around the room wildly.

"Whoa, hey. What's wrong?" Renji sat up and tried to wrap his arms around her for comfort but she shrank away from him.

She was breathing heavily and staring past him in what he thought was a look of sheer terror. "Come on, Kay-Lynn. It's me. Just… just breathe okay? It was a nightmare. You're alright. You're safe." He crooned, finally getting her to calm down and lean against him.

Toshiro busted through the door in a panic. He'd seen it all through her eyes. He'd heard that evil bastard taunting her. For a moment he'd thought it was real. He thought he had come for her. He was prepared to die before he'd let anyone else he cared about get hurt by that maniac. He sighed with relief to see that it was just a dream.

"Are you alright, Kay-Lynn?" He asked with hesitation. She looked as if she'd slipped into a form of shock and he really couldn't blame her.

After a few moments, she finally answered, still holding tightly to Renji. "Yeah, I think I'm okay. That was… he was… Toshiro, I need you to get Kisuke. I…. I remember him."

Renji looked from Kay-Lynn to the concerned gaze of the white haired Captain then back to the woman in his arms. "Remember who, Kay-Lynn?"

"Sousuke Aizen."

 **A/N: Dun dun dun! Lol, sorry. Oh come on, you can't say you didn't see that coming. Aizen is naturally a part of Kay-Lynn's problem. But how? Anyway, please leave me a review and tell me what you think or what you wanna see. I feel like maybe I've left too many holes in the story so far. I was going for mystery but I think I've ended up with a whole lot of** _ **WTF**_ **instead. Let me know what questions need to be answered. I'll work them into the next few chapters to try to clear up some things if I can. I rely on feedback to know if doing things right so please don't be afraid to say something. Anyway, I'm off to go read some awesome stuff! Love Ya'll!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Long time no see, huh? *insert nervous laughter here* I am so sorry guys. I practically fell off the planet for the last few weeks. I'm back now, though. I hope that's a good thing. Thank you all again for the constant support you've shown me and this story. I truly love every single reader I get. 3 On with the story! (Finally XD)**

Chapter 6

 **The feeling of falling in an infinite loop… the blazing hot lights swirling around him… it felt so familiar. Ichigo gave into it, knowing that somehow everything was going to be okay. When he felt a light touch graze across his cheek, he smiled. "Kay-Lynn." It was the dream again. He recognized it now. This strange blurring world that seemed to move at lightning speeds and yet stand still at her touch… it was becoming as real to him as the waking world. He turned around to find her standing just behind him.**

" **Ichigo, I've been waiting for you." She teased, smiling and twirling a piece of her hair in her fingers.**

" **I'm sorry." He answered, even though he wasn't sure why he'd apologized. Her radiant smile turned sad for a moment as she studied him. "What's wrong?" he asked as he hesitantly reached his hands forward and cupped her face.**

 **Kay-Lynn didn't answer. She just stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, burying her face into his shoulder. He immediately held her tight. He knew he was dreaming but God, it felt so real! She was so soft and warm. Her breath heated his skin even through his shirt.**

 **She slowly lifted her head and looked into his eyes. "Why do I do this?" she asked quietly. He looked at her and wondered what she could be talking about but before he had time to ask, she leaned up and pressed her lips to his. All his thoughts vanished but one. He needed her. He parted her lips with his and let his tongue sweep across hers. She responded in all the right ways, moaned and sighed at all the right times, everything was perfectly right. Because… well, this was a dream.**

" _ **Is it**_ **?" a haunting voice whispered inside his mind. Ichigo froze. Kay-Lynn pulled back and smiled, but not her usual bright smile. There was something strange… almost frightening… about it. A dark excitement had found its way into her evergreen eyes and she seemed to be gazing straight through him. It felt as if she wasn't looking at Ichigo anymore. It was like she was seeing…** _ **him**_ **. And she liked it.**

 **A watery echoing laughter sounded through his head and he shivered. "** _ **Yeah, she can see me. She feels me. She. Wants. Me!**_ **" The voice taunted, accentuating the words. "** _ **Did you really think it's you she keeps running to? You're too weak for her, Ichigo!**_ **"**

"Shit!" Ichigo sat straight up in bed. He rubbed at his eyes and shook his head. He was covered in sweat and the sheets stuck uncomfortably to his body. He flung them away from him and lowered himself back down on the bed. He'd been dreaming of Kay-Lynn every night since they'd met but never once had… that thing… interfered like that. It was bad enough that he had constantly been feeling _him_ just under his skin while he was awake. Now, he was having to deal with it in his dreams, too. He sighed. He didn't have time for this. He needed to get ready for school, then he'd go to Urahara's afterward. He could make excuses and say it was just to check in with everyone and see how things were going, but he was too tired to lie to himself. He wanted to see her…

*…*

Renji had walked circles outside the shop for what felt like forever. The sun hadn't begun to rise when Kay-Lynn had startled him awake that morning and now it was shining down harshly. It probably would have been hot if not for the distinct chill that lingered in the fall air.

Today was supposed to be the day they headed back to the Soul Society, but because of whatever had just happened, Urahara had insisted that Kay-Lynn should stay with him. The thought of leaving her behind was unbearable. Hadn't the whole point in bringing her to the Soul Society in the first place been that the human world was too dangerous for her?

He'd been completely prepared to stay with her but Kay-Lynn told him to go. She couldn't have realized just how much it'd stung when she'd said it. "No, Renji." She'd said so casually, as if talking to a child. "Go home. I'll be okay. Ichigo and his friends are here. They'll keep me safe if I need them." Then she'd smiled. Just smiled, like what she had said didn't make his heart sink into the pit of his stomach. Renji clinched his fists at his sides to keep from hitting something… anything.

"Lieutenant Abarai." Toshiro said, slowly approaching Renji who was still visibly fuming. That silly girl had really worked him over. Even though Toshiro understood her reasoning, it didn't stop him from questioning his friend's actions.

"Captain…" The red head barely glanced up.

"It's nearly time to go. Are you ready?" Toshiro questioned, knowing Abarai was anything but ready to leave Kay-Lynn in Karakura Town. He shared the sentiment but they had to respect her wishes. She wasn't a citizen of the Soul Society and was under no obligation to follow orders. If she wanted to stay, it couldn't be helped.

The Lieutenant grunted a response and began to walk toward him. "Where's Kay-Lynn?" He asked in passing.

"She's sleeping. She was very tired after all of the excitement this morning so Urahara told her to rest."

*…*

Kay-Lynn groggily stretched and rubbed her eyes. She wished she could make herself be bothered by her dream of Ichigo. His soft touch and warm lips seemed to be what her sleeping mind always retreated to when she was troubled and it was so much better than the dream she'd had last night. The one about that evil man, Sousuke Aizen. She'd take any dream over that. Especially one about the sexy teen and his wicked eyes. A shiver ran down her spine at the thought. His eyes… there was definitely something different about them in this dream. Something that seemed to pull her under like a riptide. It was something dark and mysterious... and hot as all hell! Kay-Lynn smiled to herself then shook off the memory of it as best as she could. It was just a dream. Nothing to get all worked up over.

Besides that, she had more important thing to consider. She'd just found out hours before, that the man she'd dreamed about… the man who somehow triggered memories of betrayal and anger… Sosuke Aizen… was a dangerous murderer and traitor and had disappeared off the radar into the world of those creepy hollow monsters. The whole time she'd been in the Soul Society, they'd all been on edge, anticipating a possible attack, investigating every detail, and training for the next encounter. No one ever mentioned it, probably afraid that it would scare her. She'd just be in everyone's way if she went back and she had her own investigating to do with Kisuke's help.

Not a single one of her Soul Reaper friends seemed very comfortable leaving without her. Especially, Renji and Toshiro, but she couldn't back down now. She'd already made up her mind. She could hear her little Captain's worried thoughts flitting through her head as she said her sad goodbyes to the others. She tried her best to reassure him mentally but it only appeared to darken his mood.

Shuhei and Izuru both bear hugged her at the same time, squishing her in between them, wishing her luck, and promising to be there in a flash if she needed them. Rangiku nearly suffocated her when she pulled her into her chest. That woman's… bosom… could be considered a deadly weapon! Stepping away from her, laughing, Kay-Lynn promised to see them all again soon.

She slowly walked up to Toshiro, who was standing with his arms crossed over his chest and scowling down at his feet like they'd committed some grave offense. She reached out and ruffled his hair, causing his brooding glare to turn up to her. "Stop frowning, or you'll get another crease." she teased.

He absently raised a hand and rubbed at the line between his scrunched up eyebrows then quickly crossed his arms again. "I do not have a crease." He said in his matter-of-fact way that, she had come to learn, meant he was hiding his feelings.

Kay-Lynn let a small smile form on her lips. " _I'm gonna miss ya, Shiro."_

Toshiro looked her square in the eyes _. "It's Captain… forget it. Are sure about this?"_ he asked silently _._

" _That wasn't just a dream last night. That bastard Aizen is the key to unlocking my past and remembering what he has to do with it. He waited 'till I was here, in Karakura Town to make me aware of him. I have to stay and find out why."_ She reasoned, even though the plan sounded just as stupid and risky now as it did when she'd first thought of it.

"You're right. It is stupid", Toshiro startled her by speaking out loud, "but I understand." He looked behind her at Urahara, Tessai, and the two children who were ever present at Kisuke's side. "You will take care of her, yeah?" He had meant it as a question but it had sounded much more like an order. All the better. Urahara had a way of taking risks to satisfy his own curiosity. Toshiro didn't really think the Ex-Captain was a bad person. It was just his nature as a scientist. After getting solemn nods from the misfit group, he turned his attention back to Kay-Lynn.

"You have the soul phone. If you need me…"

Kay-Lynn laughed again. She couldn't help it. A soul phone? Didn't they realize how silly that sounded when they named it? "Yeah, yeah. I got it. I'll be fine, I promise." She grabbed his folded arms at the wrist as she spoke and pulled him in to a tight hug.

Toshiro froze for a moment before stiffly putting an arm around her shoulders. He never was a hugger, but as he stood there awkwardly, he heard Kay-Lynn's breath hitch mid-sniffle.

"Thank you for… being my friend…and for… just… everything. I'm going to miss you so much." She whispered through small quiet sobs.

A smile tugged at the corner of Toshiro's lip at the same time as his eyes began to sting. He quickly closed them, not allowing himself to be seen crying. "Silly girl." He whispered back, finally wrapping both arms around her and relaxing. "Don't act like you'll never see me again. I'm just a phone call away, remember? Now stop crying. You're snotting all over my haori."

Kay-Lynn giggled and released her best friend after one more tight squeeze. She wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and smiled weakly. He smiled back and nodded reassuringly, having already heard her thoughts. She was bracing herself for the last of the goodbyes.

Renji stood just a few feet away, watching her as she approached. He sighed deeply and tried to force himself to unclench his jaw so that he could speak. The only problem with that was, he had no idea what he wanted to say. No, that wasn't entirely true. He had so much he wanted to say at the moment. He just wasn't sure if he should or even could say any of it.

Kay-Lynn gently touched the intricate tattoos on Renji's brow and traced them with her fingertips. "I don't want to say goodbye to you." She admitted in a small voice.

Renji caught her hand in his. "Then don't." he said. "Come with me. Or let me stay with you." He shook his head at the way his voice cracked. He was begging and he hated it but not because of his pride. Because he knew it would do no good. He could see it in her eyes. She wouldn't change her mind. She didn't even bother with an answer. He supposed that she saw in his eyes too, that she didn't have to.

She stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft innocent kiss at the corner of his lips. Renji took a deep breath, stepping back. No need to make it any harder than it already was. "I guess this is goodbye then." He gave her hand one last squeeze before releasing it. "Just… uh, be careful and remember to call if you need me… us… if you need us." He had to look away from her before she saw the pain he was struggling to hide when fresh tears began falling down her cheeks. He turned his back to her and faced the others. "Okay…" he cleared his throat in attempt to remove the lump forming, "let's get the show on the road." He said, striding toward the gate. Taking Zabimaru, he opened it and stepped aside to let the others pass through first. They entered one at a time, each turning and waving goodbye as they left. All the while, Renji stared straight ahead, avoiding Kay-Lynn's eyes.

Kay-Lynn could hardly believe the way Renji was acting. She had imagined he would be upset, worried, maybe even pissed, but she never imagined he'd act so coldly toward her. Maybe she'd been reading too much into the moments they'd shared together. She guessed it wasn't really fair of her to expect him to behave like they were in a relationship. They'd never actually committed to each other. Plus, her Ichigo fantasies didn't exactly make her relationship worthy, anyway. But… she really wanted him to at least act like he cared. Just a little bit. She knew she was being selfish, but she wanted him to be sad or mad or something.

She watched him stand like a guardian as the others left, hoping for some sort of sign that he felt something but there was none. His expression was all business, his stance was statuesque and gave nothing away, and his beautiful amber-speckled brown eyes never even turned her way. As he readied to enter the gate, just inches away from stepping through, she broke.

"Renji!" She called out desperately.

She'd barely began to move toward him, but he'd moved faster. The sound of his name leaving her lips was all it took for him to run to her and wrap his arms around her. He buried his face in her hair and breathed in the flowery scent. "I'm sorry." He said as held her close. "I'm an idiot. I just didn't know what to say."

Kay-Lynn smiled against his chest. "Just say you'll miss me."

Renji pulled back and took her face in his hands. "I'll miss you." He looked into her eyes and suddenly found it hard to breathe. "My god, I'll miss you so much!" The words came out in a rush before he covered her mouth with his. He wasted no time pushing his tongue past her lightly parted lips and intertwining it with hers. She'd seemed hesitant the last time he'd kissed her, but now she was responding with just as much possessive passion as he was, pushing her tongue back against his like she might die if she didn't taste every part of his kiss. He decided to let her do just that and relished in the feeling of her fervently exploring the inside of his mouth. Their tongues danced back and forth together until he pulled away, panting slightly.

"I'll come back as soon as I can." He promised, resting his forehead against hers.

She smiled at him and placed another sweet kiss on his lips. "Can't wait."

*…*

Kisuke watched the girl silently as she sat on the little makeshift picnic table out back of the shop. She stared down at the ground, slinging her dangling legs back and forth like a child. Kisuke suppressed a laugh. He couldn't believe just how young she looked. His heart ached at the thought of just how innocent she appeared. What Aizen had done to her was monstrous. Not surprising… but unforgivable none the less. He sighed without realizing. How was he ever going to tell her what he knew to be true?

"Stop slinking around in doorways, Urahara. It's creepy." Kay-Lynn mumbled at the man watching her from the door of the shop without even turning to look at him.

Kisuke let his usual grin stretch across his face as he approached. "I wasn't slinking. I was standing. Big difference." He ruffled her hair as he plopped down beside her on the table.

She laughed a little but it sounded sad, even to herself. "Still creepy." She teased. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Kisuke said, now joining her in staring at the ground as if it could help ease the tension. Maybe it could. He certainly didn't know how to deal with brooding teen girls, especially ones that had so much to brood over. It was out of his range of expertise.

"Have you ever… nah, it's stupid." She confessed, finally looking over at him. She'd come to respect and care for everyone she'd met recently but after spending so much time talking over everything that morning with the ex-captain, she really felt like she could trust him. He was like a father figure in her eyes, which made what she had wanted to ask all the more embarrassing.

Kisuke watched her face turned an adorable shade of pink. "Oh… Is this about Abarai?" he asked, nudging her with his elbow a bit. He was relieved. This he could deal with. He didn't really want to talk about the extremely serious situation with Aizen at the moment even though it would have to be addressed sooner or later.

Kay-Lynn tensed. "No! Well, yes… sort of." She sighed, putting her hands over her face.

"Have I ever what? Been in love?" Kisuke pried. Kay-Lynn gasped and he chuckled.

"No, not that." She was utterly embarrassed now. She wasn't in love with Renji. Or at least she didn't think she was. How could she be with her mind constantly firing not so pure thoughts at her of her very attractive orange haired secret obsession?

"I mean… I care about Renji. I really do, but I… I don't know." She fought against her better judgment and decided to just come out with it. Sort of… "There's someone else." She looked into Urahara's eyes deeply, searching for any kind of awareness. Praying her feelings for Ichigo weren't as obvious as her feelings for Renji apparently were.

Kisuke breathed a little shallower as the girl stared at him so intently. "Someone else? You don't mean…" he slowly put a hand over his own chest, eyes going wide. He hadn't expected this at all.

Suddenly Kay-Lynn burst out laughing shocking Urahara completely which only made her laugh harder. "Not you, weirdo!" she managed. "I thought you were supposed to be smart!"

"Phew! You had me worried for a second." Kisuke grinned. Thank the Gods! "So who then?" He asked through muffled laughs. The girl's amusement was contagious.

"Don't laugh at me if I tell you." She beamed earning a nod from her companion. "It's Ichigo." She giggled as she said his name and quickly covered her mouth. _Ugh, there's the stupid giggle again. I'm such a child when it comes to him!_ She rolled her eyes at her internal monologue and looked back at Urahara, but the look on his face told her he didn't find it amusing in the least.

"No." This was not good. Kisuke shook his head. "No." It was the only word he could manage, but it spoke volumes. The shock on Kay-Lynn's face and the glistening tears forming in her eyes hurt him deeply but he couldn't explain his reaction to her just yet so he simply stood and walked away.

 **A/N: Again, I'm sorry for the impossibly long wait for the update. I'll try my hardest to not let it happen again. This story has been a pain in the booty for me ever since I decided on a different direction for it. It had almost written itself up to that point. But now I know where it's headed and it's becoming a little easier. Please, please, please, leave me a little something in the review section and let me know what you think and if there's anything you want to see happen. I promise I'll consider it. I always love hearing from you guys so feel free to PM me. As always, I love ya'll and have a great week!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I'm so sorry you guys. It's been… 2 months! 2 months? Really, Kas. You suck at updating. Since it's been so damn long, forget the author's note! Let's just get on with the story already, huh? Enjoy!**

Chapter 7

Ichigo peaked his head into Urahara's shop after receiving no answer at the door. "Where the hell is everyone?" he wondered aloud. "Hey! Hat and Clogs!" he called as he walked through the seemingly empty room, swinging the plastic bag he carried back and forth like a pendulum.

"Back here…" a gruff, sleepy voice answered from the hallway.

Ichigo made his way back and stood behind Urahara who was looking out the window with a somber expression. "Where's everyone at?" he asked. He studied the man in front of him. His shoulders were slumped, his hands rested limply at his sides, and in one he held his ever present green and white hat. He looked tired and defeated. It wasn't a look Ichigo could recall ever seeing on the Ex-Captain.

"They went back…" Kisuke sighed out, like speaking took more energy than he had.

Ichigo visibly flinched. "Kay-Lynn's gone?" He asked before he could stop himself.

The older Soul Reaper's shoulder slouched even further than before as he looked back meeting Ichigo's eyes with his own. "You too, huh?" he mumbled. He shook his head at the boys confused face. "She's right out there." He waved his hat toward the window. Ichigo started to turn away so he could go and see her but Kisuke grabbed his wrist. "Ichigo…"

Ichigo studied the man's stern face, raising his eyebrows in question before shaking his hand free.

Kisuke knew he couldn't exactly reveal the truth to Ichigo just yet. The kid barely understood what was happening to himself. He certainly wouldn't be able to grasp what was going on with Kay-Lynn. And, no matter how much Kisuke tried to suppress it, the scientist in him wanted to see what would happen. He needed a way to test his theory about the girl and that test was presenting itself so easily. He sighed and shook his head again. "Just… be careful."

Listening to Ichigo's retreating footsteps, he turned and stared out the window again. He saw Kay-Lynn tense then look over her shoulder. A small smile appeared and she wiped her eyes with the backs of her hands. She'd sensed Ichigo. Kisuke lowered his head. He was ashamed of himself for allowing this but he needed proof.

*…*

There it was. That dark, dangerously magnetic aura Kay-Lynn had come to know as Ichigo's spiritual pressure. She smiled, wiping away the tears she'd been shedding because of Kisuke's unexpected reaction. As the substitute soul reaper came into view from around the corner, her smile grew.

"Hey." Ichigo said, screwing his face into a frown and wishing he'd said something better than that when he saw her puffy, red eyes.

Kay-Lynn laughed. "Hey yourself."

"I… uh… I brought you something." He said, holding up the plastic bag like a peace offering.

"Yeah?" She asked. "What is it?"

"Just some candy and sodas. Not much really." He admitted. He felt the blush heating his cheeks already and sighed. "But first, tell me what happened." Ichigo sat down next to her and laid the bag behind them on the table.

Kay-Lynn shrugged. "What makes you think something happened?"

"Well, I'm not that great at reading people, but the huge rain cloud floating over your head kinda gave it away." He teased. "Not to mention Hat and Clogs is acting weird and everyone else is gone."

Kay-Lynn huffed out a laugh and rolled her eyes. "Okay. It's a little crazy but… you sure you want to hear it?"

"Yeah… absolutely. I'm pretty good with crazy, you know."

Ichigo, as it turned out, was really good with crazy. He listened to everything she had to say. After explaining her dream about Aizen, his face had gone stark. Then when she explained why she'd chosen to stay, it hardened and he nodded. Kay-Lynn knew without asking that he hadn't doubted the dream as reality and he hadn't thought her staying was stupid. They talked about the possibility that it was a trap to get to her and what Aizen could want but neither of them really came up with any answers. Soon, their conversation fell into a comfortable silence just as the afternoon sun began to slip behind the horizon.

*…*

Kisuke had long since abandoned his post at the window. The two teens seemed perfectly comfortable with each other and nothing out of the ordinary was happening, so he'd retreated to his study. Now, he was surrounded by research that Yoruichi had sneaked to him for the Soul Society. Old archived files full of things he'd read but wish he hadn't, were strung about his desk.

Opening one such file, he examined the perfect calligraphy and grimaced. Not his writing. Aizen's. He'd recognize the elegant pen strokes anywhere. They'd went through more than he'd like to admit to get his hands on some of Aizen's more "delicate" research. The contents of the file sickened him, but it was what he'd been looking for.

"Subject #38

Male, Human Soul

Approximate age: 14

Found just outside Seretai

Aberrant brain patterns and reiatsu levels observed, unstable.

Degradation of self, suicidal thoughts and tendencies, eventual comatose stasis.

As consciousness waned, separate personalities presented themselves. Split psyche from trauma.

Achieved a small connection with Hollow and Shinigami DNA alike but both caused a violent reaction in subject.

Interesting but a failure none the less. Will I ever be able to imitate the natural and enhanced abilities of Subject #1?

Subject Terminated

Subject #39

Female

Approximate age: 16, Human Soul

Found in Human World

Brain wave activity and reiatsu levels diminished but connection achieved.

Subject experienced shared consciousness with Hollow for 32 sec. Emotions unlike bloodlust observed.

Shinigami experiment more productive. Obsession and a false sense of loyalty to subject encountered.

Failure again but closer to desired results.

Subject Terminated.

I have failed too many times to continue. I cannot reproduce the results of Subject #1. She had exhibited the ideal abilities to build on from the beginning. The ability to read and influence another's emotion! And a Shinigami no less! With just the preliminary trials, the influence toward Hollows in particular was immediate and grew to nearly complete control. Just short of perfection. There were of course, unexpected developments but I believe the drive and hormones of youth may be the cause. I will continue to watch her closely under the guise of mentor and friend."

*…*

Kay-Lynn laughed as she opened the package of candy Ichigo had picked out for her. It looked like some kind of powder in a little packet and it came with a tiny plastic mixing bowl and a stirring stick. "Now, what is… Ichigo, how do I eat this?"

He swallowed down the rest of his sweets and pointed to the powder packet. "You're supposed to mix it with water and it turns into a gummy candy but uh… I forgot to grab some water. I guess we can use this." He said, picking up his soda can and taking the little bowl from Kay-Lynn.

"If somebody wanted gummy candies, couldn't they just buy… ya know… gummy candies?" She teased as she moved to stand in front of him. She emptied the contents of the packet into the bowl and frowned slightly at the colored powder. It's bright, nearly neon, shade of blue made her unexplainably nervous. She looked up and caught Ichigo's amused grin.

"Go ahead, it'll be good. I promise." He assured her and handed her the soda. She sighed and focused back on the powdered candy and started pouring.

All at once, the contents of the bowl began to bubble and foam.

"Oh shit…" Ichigo quickly held it at arm's length, wincing at the cold frothy mixture running onto his hands from over the sides of the container. All he could do was watch as it foamed and spurted until it finally fizzled down. He looked into the now empty bowl and set it behind him on the table, sighing in defeat.

Kay-Lynn looked from the foamy puddle on the ground at her feet to the sulking boy in front of her. His hands were streaked with blueish brown goo. As she watched him peer into the container with a dejected sigh, she couldn't help the laugh that erupted. His eyes snapped up to her and a smile tugged at the left side of his lips.

"Oh, you think that's funny, huh?" he smirked, grabbing an unopened can of soda from the bag left on the table. He shook it vigorously and gave Kay-Lynn a devious grin.

"No! Ichigo! Don't you dare!" She squealed taking several steps back.

"Aren't you hot in that sweatshirt? I think you need to cool off a little." He teased as he advanced on her. He popped the lid on the can and the liquid inside erupted out in an arc and the fizzy, cold cola sprayed wildly… right back on Ichigo.

Kay-Lynn howled with laughter. Soon he was laughing, too, while surveying the damage to his school uniform. "I guess soda was a bad idea all around, huh?" He joked, sitting back on the table top. He pulled off his button up then tossed it behind him while untucking the t-shirt he'd had underneath. It was wet as well but it couldn't be helped. He looked back up at Kay-Lynn when he realized she'd fallen silent. She just stood there, a few steps away from him, chewing at her bottom lip. She seemed to be in some kind of daze.

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah… I'm fine." Kay-Lynn managed to force the words out somehow. It was a total lie, of course _._

 _No, no, no. I'm definitely not alright! Not at all!_

She could nearly see straight through the thin material of Ichigo's damp white t-shirt and it was clinging obscenely to his perfectly toned skin. Her gaze traveled upward taking in the width of his shoulders, the long line of his neck, the strong angle of his jaw, the curve of his lips, the sharp slant of his nose, and finally the depths of his eyes. She remembered the moment in her dream where she'd seen something dark and dangerous behind those eyes. Even now that she was wide awake, she felt it. Whatever it was pulled at her like a moth to a flame.

 _I need to stop this shit! I was practically screwing him with my eyes just now! What the hell is wrong with my brain? I may need professional help after this._

"You sure you're okay?" Ichigo gave her a curious look and playfully kicked his foot out, nudging her leg with it.

She laughed nervously. "Sorry… I was… uh… I don't know. I'm a little off today." She admitted.

Ichigo shook his head. "No need to apologize. You've had a crazy day. I don't blame you for getting kinda lost in thought." He cocked his head to the side and looked at her then pressed his lips together in an effort not to laugh. "Kay-Lynn… you've got a little…" he said, pointing at her cheek.

"What? What is it?" She said, wiping at her face. "Is it a bug? I don't do bugs!"

He laughed without hesitation now that she'd wiped all around her face in a panic and still missed what he was trying to point out. "Calm down, it's not a bug. You've got some… soda goo… from the candy… Just come here." He finally managed to say, grabbing her hand and pulling her close enough to reach her face. "It's right… here." He rubbed his thumb over the sticky blue brown glob only to smear it across her cheek. "Oops."

"Ichigo!" Kay-Lynn admonished while he continued to rub at the goop and laugh harder when it refused to come off. She grabbed at his hand to stop him from doing any more damage, laughing at the goofy grin on Ichigo's face.

"No, hold on. I got this!" Ichigo announced confidently.

"You most certainly don't 'got this'." When she felt a light touch at her waist, she glanced down to find Ichigo's free hand resting there. She was suddenly very aware of the limited space between them. Sometime during their playful moment, she'd unknowingly moved so close to him that she was standing between Ichigo's legs, he was not sitting quite as far back on the table as he had been before and his thighs lightly pressed against her sides. Her heart pounded against her ribs when she realized that she was only a breath away from being against the same chest she'd admired earlier.

"I… uh… I'll go get a wet cloth or something. I'll be right back." She stammered, taking a step back, but Ichigo did not let the hand on her waist fall. Instead, he used it to pull her closer.

"It can wait." He said in a low whisper.

She opened her mouth to speak but didn't get the chance. Ichigo's lips suddenly coming against hers not only stole whatever words she had meant to say, but also for a brief moment, her ability to move. She wanted to kiss him back but at the same time she knew that she shouldn't. Despite all of her fantasizing and dreaming, she actually did have feelings for Renji even if she wasn't sure what those feelings were. She cared a lot about him, but in all honesty there was just something about Ichigo she couldn't resist.

Just as she was about to pull away from him, her thoughts were interrupted by a strange heat rising throughout her body. Her skin felt feverish, her pulse raced, and a hazy fog settled over her mind. She couldn't remember what she'd been thinking about. Why had she been trying to think at all when she had those soft entrancing lips so eagerly pressing against hers? She wanted more…

Ichigo hesitantly straightened and pulled away from Kay-Lynn. He hadn't really intended to kiss her, it just kind of happened. He was just as surprised by it as she was but there was something about her that pulled at him. After all the times he had literally dreamed of being with her, it was difficult to keep himself in check when she was near. So when he'd found himself so close to her, he'd just reacted. And now he felt awful about it. It was painfully obvious that she and Renji had something going on so she clearly wouldn't want to kiss someone else. He wouldn't blame her if she punched him in his stupid face for this stunt.

"I'm sorry, Kay-Lynn. I…" he stuttered.

"Don't be sorry." She couldn't figure out why he would apologize for kissing her. Her thoughts were still jumbled and her skin still felt like it was on fire. Especially, in all the places his body was still touching hers.

He closed his eyes tight and took a deep breath. When he opened his eyes again he looked at the clouds rolling by in the distance. "I really am sorry. I just… something happens to me when I get around you. I just want to…" Ichigo looked back at Kay-Lynn and was drawn in by her sparkling green eyes. He cupped her face in his palm and growled lightly in frustration. "Do you have any idea what you do to me? I can't help myself. I want to touch you every time I get close to you. I can't stop thinking about it so I just… I'm sorry, I just don't know how much longer I can control myself."

Kay-Lynn stared into his eyes, partially in shock, but more so out of intrigue and… desire. His strange confession made her feel like she actually held some sort of power over him, and that thought alone sent the heat that had built in her into a frenzied boil. Her hands slowly moved to Ichigo's chest. Her mind struggling between the need to push him away and the need to feel the skin just beneath the thin shirt. She hesitated just a second too long to do either as Ichigo closed the distance between them with a hard demanding kiss that once again robbed her of any coherent thought.

Ichigo couldn't believe what he'd done, what he'd said, and what he was doing again, right now. His mouth crashed against Kay-Lynn's soft lips before he'd even registered the thought of kissing her again. He hadn't been able to stop himself. The way he reacted to her was something he'd never experienced before. It was as if she'd opened up a part of him he was only vaguely aware existed; A part of him that acted on instinct, that demanded to have whatever it wanted, a part that was now rising out of control.

 **A/N: Wow, so two months without an update and I'm giving you guys a super short chapter… You hate me now, don't ya? Soo sorry. The next one will be longer and maybe a little worthy of the M rating on this bad boy! And hopefully up within the next day or two. That's the plan anyway. I love ya'll. Please don't hate me!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Yes, I know. I should change my name to KasSucksAtUpdates! Life has been absolutely crazy for me lately. I'm beyond late posting. As if you didn't notice, huh? So, what happens when life throws a heap of crap at you like unexpected company, last minute vacations, and the unwelcomed end of Bleach aka mind-melting depression? Thanks for that, Kubo. :( You get a chapter written overnight that gets posted a month late and a rambling writer who's had no sleep but tons (and I mean TONS) of coffee! I AM SOOO SORRY!**

 **Oh, yeah. A warning here. This chapter contains a little bit of smuttishness. That's not really a word, is it? Well, you get the point.**

 **On with the story!**

Ichigo's heart raced as Kay-Lynn began to respond to his kiss. As if fighting for dominance, she wrapped both hands in his hair and pulled his head back, slightly separating their mouths. She ran her tongue across his bottom lip, and he tried to pull back in for more only to have her grip on him tighten. She smiled a devious smile and then nipped at his jawline, further and further up, until she took the lobe of his ear into her mouth and toyed with it. Flicking it with her tongue and then biting it roughly.

Ichigo grunted in frustration as he reached for her long flaming hair and tugged experimentally, softly at first then with enough force to pull her head backwards. She released his hair and cried out in an exited gasp. Ichigo could feel the other just under his skin, scratching and clawing to emerge. He knew that _he_ was enjoying this just as much as the two of them were. For whatever reason, Ichigo considered letting him loose. The thought almost stunned him enough to bring him back to his senses… almost. But at that moment Kay-Lynn began to struggle against his hold on her hair in the most enticing way. By the half satisfied, half lust filled smile on her face and intoxicating sighs and moans spilling out between clenched teeth, he knew she didn't really want him to let go.

Kay-Lynn's sanity had snapped. The rough pull at her hair that held her back out of reach of those sinful lips was a little painful but she couldn't bring herself to care. It was exactly what she wanted. She didn't care that she felt trapped in her own body most of the time or how she hated for anyone to touch her bare skin. She didn't feel that way at the moment. She didn't care anymore that Urahara or anyone could walk out and see what was transpiring between her and Ichigo. It only excited her more to know they could be caught. She didn't even care if Renji would be hurt if he ever found out. Renji had never made her feel this way.

She did, however, care about the deep pooling inferno settling low and burning its way through every sensitive place on her body. She cared about the dangerous aura coming from Ichigo that caressed and licked at her as if it wanted this, as well. She only really cared about how much more of that carnal darkness she needed from him. She struggled mockingly against his tight grip on her hair. Exhilarating pain radiated from her scalp and her neck and she shuddered out a breath and smiled. God, it felt so good! "Ichigo… touch me… please!" She begged, grabbing his free hand and placing it at the swell of her breasts.

Ichigo did not hesitate, groaning low in his throat. He squeezed roughly at one of her breasts, over her clothes. Suddenly, the thin sweatshirt she wore became the worst nemesis he'd ever encountered as she pressed his hand against her with her own, mouth slightly open, breath coming out in mewling pants. He pulled her face to his again and reclaimed her mouth, relinquishing his hold on her hair. He slipped both hands underneath her shirt and pulled down the cups of her bra to expose both of her full breasts to his hurried touch.

As the slightest doubt entered his mind, he held his hands perfectly still, lingering but not touching what he'd sought after only seconds ago. He slowed the kiss down even as Kay-Lynn continued to swirl her tongue with his. What exactly was he doing? Was he really about to do this with her here? He'd wanted it. Oh God, how he'd wanted it. Still wanted it, but something about this didn't feel right. She wasn't acting like herself and neither was he. He felt dazed, nearly dreamlike. What the hell was happening?

Kay-Lynn pushed forward with her body and his hands filled with the perfect flesh of her breasts and the taught hardness of her nipples pressed into his palms and he nearly forgot what he'd been thinking and just nearly how to breathe. He failed to restrain the moan that escaped his lips and was swallowed up by hers. Shit, he needed to stop this!

" _Oh, no you don't, Ichi! I should have known you were too chicken shit… It's my turn!"_ The other spoke inside his head. Ichigo felt it a moment too late, the feeling of losing control to _him_. It wasn't like it had been in battle. That had been a sudden blackness surrounding him and the sinking feeling of being thrust into the role of observer. This was slow; agonizingly slow and in his human body, the sensation was amplified. His vision blurred ever so slightly in his left eye, fading in and out of shadowy darkness and a red tinted mockery of the world around him. " _STOP!_ " Ichigo shouted but it was too late. He heard his own voice echo inside of his mind.

He felt his hands begin to move without him initiating it. He fought to stop them, but all he managed to do was slow the movement down. He felt every single sensation as his hands rolled over Kay-Lynn's breasts, slowly kneading them as his tongue began to plummet deeper into her mouth. She whimpered and clutched at his shoulders and he felt her nails dig into his flesh even through his shirt. There was no numbing disconnection from his body like the times before. The monster who'd taken over wanted him to feel this.

" _Do you really want me stop, Ichi?"_ He heard the taunt followed by echoing laughter bubbling up in his thoughts as the fingers he no longer controlled pinched and teased at the sensitive nubs in his grasp. Kay-Lynn pulled at him, the warmth of her body creating mind blowing friction in all the right places as she squirmed against him. " _I don't think_ _ **she**_ _wants me to stop."_

Ichigo was helpless against what was happening to him and his lust fogged mind almost didn't care as long as Kay-Lynn kept grinding against him like that.

Lust gave way to panic when he felt the mask start to form over the left side of his face. _No, not that._ The mask would terrify Kay-Lynn and if she started to resist, there was no telling what his soulless inner demon would do to her. Ichigo struggled again to regain control but it was like beating his head against a brick wall.

Then it happened, exactly what he was afraid of. Kay-Lynn straightened and looked directly at him. He knew what she was seeing. The Hollow mask forming over one side of his face, the empty black and gold that had taken over his eyes, the unnaturally wide smile that was stretching across a face that would be almost unrecognizable to her now.

Even the hollow stilled and waited for her to react. Ichigo wanted to close his eyes, cover his face with his hands, anything at all but sit there and watch Kay-Lynn come face to face what he'd become.

After what felt like an eternity, even though Ichigo was sure only a few seconds had passed, Kay-Lynn finally showed some sort of a reaction, but it wasn't at all what he'd expected. She smiled at him and tilted her head to the side. Ichigo had seen that particular smile before, in his dream. He'd thought then that it was dark and frightening, but he'd been wrong. Dark… maybe, but rather than frightening it was erotic. The excitement in her eyes as she took in the hollow's face was simply enthralling.

Kay-Lynn was completely drowning inside of her own mind. She didn't know what was happening to her. She didn't know why she was acting so insane or why she couldn't seem to stop or even care. The only thought that kept resurfacing again and again was that she wanted more. It was terrifying to not be able to control her own body, but the fear only served as a catalyst for her desires. It excited her. Fear, pain, lust, need. They all traveled the same path in her broken down thought processes, blending seamlessly together until all that was left was want.

Her warped mind had nearly collapsed in on her when she'd looked at Ichigo and saw him. Not Ichigo, but the one she'd sensed lurking inside him, the one she felt like she'd truly been desiring. The overwhelming energy that poured out of Ichigo in waves… it wasn't just his spiritual pressure but this… wickedly intriguing creature's as well.

She smiled at the being in front of her as she tilted her head to study him. His breathing was shallow as if he was trying to control uneven breaths. His fingers that still rested against her slowly started to trace circles around her breasts then down her sides, on her stomach, any part of her he could touch. She reached out and ran her fingers against the exposed side of his face and with her other hand, she traced the red lines on the mask that had only just finished forming.

Ichigo watched in utter amazement as Kay-Lynn caressed the face of his nightmares. When she ran a hand slowly up his thigh and so agonizingly close to where he wanted her touch, the hollow breathed out raggedly and clenched his teeth. He slid his hands around to her back under her sweater and scraped his nails across the delicate skin, pulling her even closer against him. She hissed in a slow measured inhale and exhaled just as slowly before wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Don't be afraid." Kay-Lynn said quietly, never breaking eye contact with the hollow or in turn, with Ichigo through his eyes.

"I'm not afraid of you!" the hollow scoffed.

"Good…" Kay-Lynn smiled at him again and gently pressed her lips to his, just to the side of the cold hard mask. "because I'm not afraid of you, either."

Ichigo had never felt his hollow be this calm before. Perhaps calm wasn't the right word for it, but he was in control of his usual blood-lust. The other had never desired anything more than causing death and destruction. Now, he only wanted Kay-Lynn as much if not more than Ichigo did. She had somehow tamed the beast, controlled him somehow, and now they were both putty in her hands.

He felt his body shift and move against Kay-Lynn's as the hollow stood and turned with Kay-Lynn trapped in his arms. He lifted her up quickly and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He turned them around, sitting her down and gently pushing her to lay back on the table. He pressed his body against her, his weight holding her down and making sure she kept her soft thighs on each side of his hips.

He attempted to kiss her again forgetting that his mask had formed. The cold sharp 'teeth' that jutted down just past his top lip cut into Kay-Lynn and she whimpered. The hollow reached up with a frustrated growl and broke away the bottom half of the mask in one swift movement. He looked at her for a moment, he and Ichigo both watching her tongue slide out and lick at the blood trickling from the small cut on the corner of her mouth. He swiped the blood she'd missed with his finger then held it to her lips. As she opened her mouth and wrapped her tongue around his finger, his hips gave an involuntary roll. She moaned around his finger, sucking the digit into her mouth and twirling her tongue around it in lewd lapping motions that had Ichigo desperate to gain control again if only just so he could have Kay-Lynn all to himself. He began to imagine what her mouth would feel like elsewhere. He heard the other let out a grunt followed by a moan as he yanked his finger away and replaced it with his lips and tongue in a hurried desperate kiss and Ichigo knew that they were both thinking the exact same thing.

Ichigo felt his erection straining against his pants, and silently begged the damned hollow to do something about it. If he wasn't going to stop, the least he could do is loosen his damn pants so that he didn't feel so confined. Ichigo even found himself wishing his hollow would reach down and touch him. The sick and twisted thought actually made the situation worse. Now, he was aching so much that his stomach was actually starting to knot up. He was sure that a person could only handle so much unadulterated lust before they slipped into madness. That is where he figured he was right now. On the razor-thin edge of madness.

He heard the hollow's thick laughter and knew that he'd heard Ichigo's demented wish. It sickened and excited him when the hollow's hand- his hand -slid down and began unbuttoning his pants. He didn't have much time to debate just what that implied about himself because in that instant, he found himself flying backwards through the air.

The hard thud of hitting the ground reverberated through not only his body but through his inner world, but the hollow controlling his body leapt to his feet. Instinctively, it reached for Zangetsu before realizing that he was in Ichigo's human form and the sword was not there. He recoiled, surveying for the threat, not having to search at all for it. Kisuke Urahara stood between him and a quivering shell-shocked Kay-Lynn.

Urahara pointed the tip of Benihime at the hollow.

"Enough!" His voice held the authority and deadly intent of his true nature.

The hollow snickered and shrugged. "Ah, fuck it…" he said in that echoing mockery of Ichigo's voice. "Ichi, get your pathetic ass out here before I change my mind."

Kay-Lynn simply stared ahead as the consuming heat began to slowly recede from her body and the foggy haze in her mind began to fade. What in the name of God had she been doing? It felt like she was waking up from a dream. As she watched Ichigo fall to his knees and cover his face, her confusion turned into fear… and guilt.

"Ichigo…? I don't know what happened! I'm so sor…"

"Go inside Kay-Lynn." Kisuke spoke without facing her. His eyes never left Ichigo's crumpled form.

"But…"

"Now!"

Kay-Lynn slid off of the table readjusting her clothes with shaking hands. She slowly turned and started heading for the door. What if Kisuke hadn't come outside when he did? She would have had sex with Ichigo! No, not Ichigo. That… whatever it was. She needed to find out what the hell had happened and why something inside her wasn't exactly opposed to it happening again.

Kisuke stood like a statue, listening to Kay-Lynn's retreating steps. When he heard the door close behind her, he sighed.

"Ichigo, you need to go home."

Ichigo struggled to his feet. He felt like his insides had been set on fire and his head and spine throbbed. He was grateful for the pain, though. Had Urahara not thrown him across the yard… he shivered at the thought.

"What happened to me?" He asked. His voice sounded too quiet, too gravely, and too foreign. He was afraid and he hated it.

"I don't know." Urahara answered just as quiet.

"Don't lie to me!" Ichigo belted out.

"Just… go home."

**#**

 **10** **th** **Division, Soul Society**

Toshiro paced the floor of his office. Something wasn't right. He couldn't explain how but he knew that it had something to do with Kay-Lynn. He wondered briefly if it had something to do with the connection they had, if he was sensing that she was in trouble. He put the though aside for later. Right now he had to get answers.

He paused in his restless pacing to grab the paper on his desk and read through it one more time. Orders from the head captain. Kay-Lynn Moragahn was no longer under the protection of the 13 Court Guards. She was, however, under surveillance due to new findings. It was straight and to the point.

Toshiro laid the paper back on his desk and massaged his temples. What were these new findings? Why wouldn't the head Captain tell him anything more? He was being kept in the dark and he did not understand why. He picked up the Soul Phone off his desk and flipped it over and over in his palm, once again debating with himself on whether or not to call his friend. He sat it back down.

"If she was in trouble, she would have called by now." He reassured himself. But what if she was unable to call? What if something had happed and she didn't have time? He sighed, picking up the phone again.

He would go to Captain Yamamoto and demand… _no, ask politely_ … that he be briefed on the situation. Then, if he hadn't heard from her, he'd call. He nodded in agreement to his own thoughts and quickly walked out of his office.

Renji raised his hand to knock on the door just as it swung open. "Oh, Captain Hitsugaya. I… uh…"

"Make it fast, Lieutenant. I'm in a bit of a rush." Toshiro told him, looking just as frazzled as Renji felt.

Renji cleared his throat and straightened his posture. "I was wondering… that is, I was hoping…" He took a deep breath. "Have you talked to Kay-Lynn?"

Toshiro looked at the man in front of him more clearly. Dark circles and tight lines of worry surrounded his eyes. Had the man even slept? He stepped past him, closing the door as he went. "No. I was hoping you had."

"No." Renji looked at the phone in Toshiro's hand and then to the identical one is his own hand. "Are you going to call her?"

"I have some business to attend to but, after that… yes."

Renji stayed on his heels as Toshiro hurried ahead. "Did you get the memo about her?" He asked, having to slow his stride as to not outstep the small Captain.

Toshiro turned and raised an eyebrow. "You got one, too?"

"No, but Captain Kuchiki did. He relayed it to me."

Toshiro stopped and turned fully to face Renji. "And what exactly did it say?" He needed to know if the other Captains were being denied information or just him.

"I'm not really sure." Renji told him. "He just told me that Kay-Lynn was under surveillance but not under our protection anymore. He put the paper in that damned folder with the rest of the info on Kay-Lynn and locked it up." Renji's knuckles where turning white around the phone clenched in his fist.

Toshiro furrowed his brow in a way he was sure Kay-Lynn would have lectured him about. "Something is very wrong concerning our friend, Abarai, and it seems no one wants us to know exactly what it is. I'm going to the Head Captain." He confided.

"I'm going with you." Renji nearly shouted.

"No. I need you to try and get to that file your Captain has. I'm not saying break into his personal things, but…"

"Break into his personal things. Got it."

Toshiro sighed again. What was he doing, condoning such things? "We also need to find out who is overseeing the surveillance team."

"I can do that." Ikkaku Madarame spoke from behind them, surprising them both.

Ikkaku and Yumichika walked out from the shadow of a nearby building, grinning like Cheshire cats. Yumichika smoothed the feather at his brow. "What Ikkaku meant to say was that _I_ can do that. _He_ has all the grace and stealth of a three-legged bull in a china shop."

Toshiro found himself rubbing at the crease between his eyes. He huffed out a breath. "Alright. We meet in my office tonight at sunset." He knew that somehow, he would regret this deeply and hoped that banishment wasn't in his near future.


	9. AN Apology

A/N -

I don't know what to say besides that I am very sorry. It's been so long since I've even written anything let alone posted. I won't bore you with an excuse. Just, life happened. And writer's block... Anyway, I promise to try and finish up the stories that are already on here. I am just not sure about the future posts. Let me know I guess, if there are things you would be interested in reading. Again, I'm sorry and thank you to those who have stuck in there waiting for me. Love ya'll.


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